TALES OF OUR TRAVELS AND OUR LOVE OF ADVENTURE

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Maybe a BIG change in plans...chapter 2

We've had a lot of time to do some more talking, planning, calculating, and speculating - and we've come to a tentative agreement on what we're going to do when I retire. (Notice I can't keep from using negotiations jargon?) I had said earlier to a few friends that this summer trip was "practicing" for retirement - and it has helped us come to some realizations and decisions.

Here's the biggest one:  we're going to keep our home in Forest Falls. Why?  It's "home."  Just as with all of our previous trips, we're looking forward to going "home." 
I miss: 
- my recliner
- my huge new refrigerator
- my kitchen
- my bedroom
- my sewing desk and crafts area
- our deck
- Costco
- Trader Joe's
- the commissary at Norton AFB


Don misses:
- his recliner
- his bedroom
- working outside (chopping wood, landscaping, watering, even shoveling snow! He said so! - He says it keeps him fit and gives him satisfaction)
- hiking up the canyon from our house
- having a permanent place

I'm sure I can think of more, but those are the ones that come to mind.  We can get away in the deep winter and hottest summer, and stay home when the weather is more temperate.

A few changes have to be made - we have to rush to pay off the Jeep and 2 credit cards in the next 14 months - while I still have a decent paycheck from work. We also have to practice cheaper eating - and us the savings now to help towards those bills. Then we'll already be used to cheaper eating when I retire.  When we get back next week we're switching Don's cell phone to Verizon and cancelling the home land line - it's stupid to pay $40/month to Verizon and $25-35 a month to AT&T long distance for a land line. I'll keep my iphone for now since my job pays for it, but then I'll give it up completely when I retire. I'll miss it - but it's a luxury we won't need.  Don turns 62 in November, so we'll start getting his Social Security - that will help towards the mortgage payment.

I won't bore my readers with more details - this has already been boring enough - but I just felt it was a significant decision for us to make and needed to put it in writing.

We're still at Priest Gulch Campground in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado - the fishing's still wonderful and the weather is still great.  However, it's a bit wetter than we expected! Every day the clouds build up and the thunderstorms roll through - last night was a drowner.  The main road through the campground turned into a river, and was flowing through a site at the end as the water made its way to the Dolores River.  The people in the site had to leave it; they took hoes and dug some trenches to channel the water. Today the campground maintenance people are patching all the big holes that developed in the gravel road, and it looks like they've re-directed the channels down in that flooded site.  I'm enjoying staying at the trailer - I have the computer, my sewing machine, the TV, and good books. Don is up at Trout Lake - I chose not to go because there's no shade and the flies are horrendous up there. I have to keep reassuring him that I'm fine staying here; he tends to feel guilty about leaving me alone.

Two days ago, Don went up to Priest Lake - a very small lake near Trout Lake. He brought back dinner - brook trout!  Brook trout aren't really trout - they're a member of the char family, and have pink flesh. They're pretty tasty, and I tried a new way after hearing about it from a neighbor here at Priest Gulch.
Grilled Trout Almondine
Grilled Trout Almondine

trout
butter
salt and pepper
sliced almonds

Preheat grill. Clean the trout.  Lay out a sheet of aluminum foil - for 1 or 2 trout, depending on size.  Sprinkle a few almonds on the foil, then put the fish on the almonds. Put a little butter in the abdominal cavity of the fish; sprinkle fish with salt and pepper and top with more almonds. Seal the foil. Grill, about 10 minutes on each side, until fish is done (it'll flake easily with a fork).

8 comments:

Cindy said...

It sounds like a plan!! That is awesome.

The recipe looked yummy.Whatcha sewing?

Cindy and Walker

ThE MidLiFe CrUiSeR said...

It's smart of you guys to have a trial run at this fulltiming thing. Since we just went nuts and sold everything and took off, it still feels like a vacation. I'm worried about the day I wake up and realize our old home belongs to someone else, and our new home is on wheels. YIKES!

Most of all right now I miss my old friends. Talking on the phone, emails, and texts are NOTHING compared to face to face girl talk. I just don't find I can make real friends at an RV campground. Surely not anyone to share more than pleasantries. Sorry for the ramble! You caught me feeling sorry for myself :)

Nellie

Merikay said...

Does it work as well with store bought probably "farmed" trout?

It sounds like you are heading for the best of both worlds. Your hoe is in a beautiful, natural place, and not very big. Yes you will have to practice some penny pinching to be able to take the get aways, but you have the trailer and truck, and don't have to think about buying a new one.

You'll be surprised at the cost savings when you are not working. I don't know about you, but many working women spend more on transportation and on connivence foods when they work.

I do hope you will stay in the RV blogging circle. You never know, plans may change again.

Maybe after a year or so of retirement he will want to take a year full time and you can find a way to rent your home. (Best of both wolds!)

Rick said...

I like your plan. Just call yourselves "anytimers", that's what we do. We can go rv'ing anytime we want and the rest of the time we get to enjoy our home and it's surroundings. To me, this is true freedom and it meets our needs perfectly. It's truly the "best of both worlds"!

Cyndi said...

Cindy - I'm in between projects right now; just finished a throw-sized quilt called "habitat" - squares with squares inside made out of batiks.
Nellie - Don't feel sorry for yourself! You're living your dream; so many people are doing it so you can too!
Merikay - I bet this method would work with any kind of whole fish - I'm even tempted to try it with some meaty fillets
Rick and Paulette - I'm going to steal your word - make that borrow. I love it. Anytimers!

Merikay said...

I like the "Anytimers" concept too! Craig sometimes seems reluctant to think about getting rid of things.

I think I would miss my refrigerators and new double oven the most.

Prettypics123 said...

I think it may be easier to get rid of everything and go fulltime than getting back into society when you are ready. Having a home to come back to after you finish traveling helps. Drop by when you have a minute - I have two blogs - A Camp Host Housewife's Meanderings and Levonne's Pretty Pics. Thanks.

Sondra said...

I think that is very wise!! I dont plan to get rid of my home or belongings--I plan to travel when the mood strikes at least one long adventure each yr, and especially to get out of SC in the summer heat..
That fish looks great!!