Full-timing and voting

When you're a full-time RVer as I am and your mailing address is in one state (Texas) and you're living in another state (California), you'll have a problem trying to vote if your driver's license (CA) isn't in the same state as your mail.
I registered my RV in CA because if I and my RV spend more than 180 days in California (which I do), it must be registered here. My registration has the Texas mailing address on it. The RV insurance is based on the Texas mailing address.

My driver's license expires in November one day prior to election day. I wanted an absentee ballot from Texas but the Texas Secretary of State sent a letter stating I must have a Texas driver's license to vote absentee.

I checked on the cost of driving to Texas to get the driver's license: $1200 round trip depending on gas prices in October (no way was I going anywhere near Texas until the weather cooled). At the same time, I could also change the RV registration to Texas after the RV was inspected. I looked around the RV for that spare grand and just couldn't seem to find it.

So I checked the Amtrak website and could get a round-trip ticket to El Paso (closest city in the great state of Texas) for around $500. That was a better option but still expensive just to get a Texas driver's license.

I wondered what would happen if I went to the CA DMV website and changed my mailing address to Texas. What was the worst that could happen? The website could reject it and then I would need to call someone.

Amazingly, the website accepted the address change so now my current CA driver's license has a Texas mailing address. Next step was to call the DMV to find out how and if I could register to vote in CA. A very helpful woman gave me the web address.

I went to the CA Secretary of State website, printed the voter registration form and mailed it. I needed to list the current physical address and county where I'm residing.

My Escapees mail will be forwarded from Texas and I should receive it by Thursday or Friday. In the mail should be the response from CA accepting my voter registration in this state. The next step is to obtain an absentee ballot.

This may seem like a lot of effort just to vote but I take my voting privilege seriously. If a trip to Texas was required, I would have found some way to get there.
Hopefully, that won't be necessary.

Women RVers

This is my semi-annual call for a show of hands. Where are you, women RVers?

Did you know there is an organization that not only focuses on women RVers but has a forum, chat room and magazine devoted to you? When you join the national organization, you can also join a chapter in your area. There are local events every month and if you're new, you'll be adopted or mentored by an existing member. You won't be alone, you can ask all the questions you'd like, learn at your own pace and have a lot of fun while you're doing so.

Some of us are solo, some are full-timers (I belong to both chapters), and some of us are chapter members (I'm also part of the FreeWheelers chapter in northern California since I'm based here for a while). We have chapters around the U.S. and Canada.

If you're a woman RVer, don't wait another minute. Go to http://www.rvingwomen.com and find out about this great organization.

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CD Rom: The Woman's Guide to Solo RVing
This book on CD Rom provides answers to ALL the questions asked by solo women who are either planning to go on the road with an RV or else have already taken the plunge. From the basics of "Can I go it alone?" and "How do I deal with loneliness?" to the specifics of "How to drive alone?" and "What I need to know about maintaining complicated RV systems?" And much more...

Freedom to roll

This will be my fifth Fourth of July celebration since I became a full-time RVer again. I don't have a toad so when I need to go to my nearest bank branch, I travel 25 miles to Healdsburg. That means I crank up the motorhome and drive there.

Some of my neighbors offered to give me a ride in their car the next time they travel but I politely declined. Lucy needs to go and so do I.

Early Monday morning, I pulled out of the site and around the circle to the entrance road. Then I drove to the freeway and headed south. It was a cool morning with high clouds and no smoke from the fires tinting the skies brown. No smell of smoke either. There was a semi far ahead of me and I was alone on the winding stretch of Highway 101.

Then it hit me. I was smiling. I was on the road again. OK, I wasn't going very far for very long, but I was going. The RV was running smoothly and I thoroughly enjoyed the drive.

After banking and shopping for groceries, I had the gentleman who bagged my groceries help me load the bags into the RV. He peeked inside and smiled. "You got it good, lady." Yes I do.

I drove north to Cloverdale to fill the gas tank. There was a tiny gas station along the main street and I pulled in. This station had an attendant and no pay-at-the-pump yet. I walked to the small office (no store either) and handed the woman my credit card. "I bet you're glad to see me."
She looked a little confused. "Yes? I guess I am."
"Now you can pay your rent. I'm sure the manager was worried until I came along."
She laughed.

I was filling the tank when I noticed signs atop each pump. Instead of the prices, there was "Yikes!" "Ouch!" and "Whew!"

A man in a Jeep pulled in on other side of the pumps and went to pay. He returned and started pumping. I was still smiling when he said, "Boy, I bet you hate to fill that thing. How big is the tank?"
"72 gallons."
"Wow! What's your mileage?"
"Nine and-a-half."
He shook his head.
"Yes, but it gets great mileage for a house. I live in her."
"Really?"
"Yes. And you know what? I didn't even look at the pump for the price. It doesn't make any difference."
"It doesn't? Sure it does. Gas is expensive."
"Yes it is, but it's the price I pay for this RV to take me wherever I want. A tank of gas gives me the freedom to roll."
"But it must cost a lot to fill it up."
"It does. How much is your freedom worth? Mine is priceless."
He turned away to finish pumping and I could see that he was nodding.

The pump stopped at $174.80 and the tank was full.
I pulled out of the driveway and stopped at the orange cones on the main street where a side street was closed for construction. I made eye contact with the flagman, folded my hands in prayer and pointed north. He pulled a couple of cones out of the way so I could turn and waved as I went by.

I drove to the park and backed into my site. Five minutes later, the water and electric were connected, the coffee was brewing and I was balancing my checkbook. In a couple of weeks, I'm going to take a short road trip (70 miles) to the Larkspur ferry, sail to San Francisco, take a bus across town and have lunch with a friend. Lucy will have some exercise, I'll be on the road and I will again appreciate the freedom to roll.

Dust bunnies are evil

The person who coined the term "dust bunnies" must not have owned a computer. Dust bunnies are not cute. They form under beds and other furniture in sticks 'n bricks homes, and in your computer wherever it's located.

I'm in northern California surrounded by the smoke from hundreds of fires. The RV park is in a small valley along the Russian River and less than a half mile from Highway 101. We have been squinting through the smoke and breathing air worse than the smog in Los Angeles (trust me: I lived in southern California and know how bad the air is). It's also warm so we need to leave our windows and vents open. That brings whatever the wind blows into our RVs.

Because it becomes extremely warm (90s and 100s on some days), I have a fan under my laptop to keep it cool. If it gets too hot, it will stop working (unlike humans who will stagger along until they drop from exhaustion). The fan was noisier than usual this morning so I decided to check it out. It was dusty, of course, but I couldn't believe the dust bunnies! I didn't have a can of compressed air so I took a small paintbrush and gently swabbed the coils through the vents. Then I used a hair dryer to blow out the loose dust. If gathered, the dust bunnies that escaped were the size of a golf ball. No wonder the fan was complaining.

So after you read this, check out your computer and be sure you're not harboring that criminal element known as dust bunnies.

The grasshopper and the ant

Perhaps some of you remember Aesop’s Fables. They were written hundreds of years ago and contain timeless stories and parables. There is a moral at the end of each story. I think “The Grasshopper and the Ant” is especially important today.

An industrious ant was toiling all summer gathering food and taking it back to the underground tunnels. He was preparing for the winter when snow would cover the ground and food would be scarce.

The grasshopper reclined under a shady tree and watched the ant working, scurry back and forth with his burdens. He would laugh at the ant and tease him. “Why do you work so hard? Why don’t you sit under this shady tree with me and relax? There is plenty of time before winter.”

The ant would always respond, “I can’t do that. The tunnel needs to be filled so we won’t be hungry.”

“Surely you can stop for a day, can’t you?” asked the grasshopper. “Relax.”

“No! And if I were you, I would be gathering some food and storing it for winter. If you don’t, you’ll starve.”

“There is plenty of time.” The grasshopper just laughed and watched the ant work day after day.

Winter came early that year and the chill winds blew. The grasshopper was cold and started down the path to look for food. He looked on both sides of the path. There was no food, just a couple of leaves that swirled around him much too fast for him to catch. The pond was dry. He was alone. He was afraid and he was hungry.

He went to the ant tunnel and called out to the ant. “Can you help me?”

The ant came to the opening and replied, “What do you want?”

“I’m cold and I’m hungry. Can you spare some food?”

The ant sneered and said, “You had all summer to gather food for yourself. I worked all summer gathering food for my family and me. We have none to spare. Now go away.” The ant rolled a small stone across the opening and left the grasshopper standing outside.

The moral, of course, is don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today or it is better to prepare for the days of necessity.

So what does this have to do with RVing? Well, how many of us put aside extra food, water and money in our RVs to support our RV lifestyle? We all knew the gas prices were rising and showed no signs of decreasing. We all knew the high gas prices would cause a ripple effect in shipping and food prices. How many of us stocked our RVs with supplies and prepared them for an emergency evacuation in case of a disaster?

Economists used to tell us to have six months’ income put aside to cover our expenses in case of job loss. Then it was three months. Now many are one paycheck away from a personal economic crisis.

I’ve spoken with several RVers who are planning to sell their RVs because they can’t afford the gas to drive them. These folks have paid off their RVs and own them free and clear. I argued that they should keep their RVs: in these uncertain economic times, an RV is inflation- and recession-proof. With an RV, you’ll never be homeless. You won’t be hungry or thirsty. You’ll have all the resources you need to live comfortably if you’ve prepared.

It’s not too late to start now. Next time you shop for groceries, put a few extra items with a distant expiration date in your cart for the RV. Fill the fresh water tank. Fill the propane tank. Have your generator serviced if you need to. Bite the bullet and fill the gas tank. It’s not going to get any cheaper if you wait.

It’s summer but winter will be here before you know it. Are you prepared?

Warning: Some Like It Red Hot causes hot flashes of the most pleasant kind

Robin Merrill has a summer afternoon (or winter’s evening) read that’s a page turner as well as a work to savor. Her book is listed as a mystery but it’s cleverly woven through an ageless romance that honors and respects the older and wiser player.

Aimed at women RVers and with an audience of supporting Red Hat Society members (called Red Hots in the novel), every woman who has fought her way up the corporate ladder, loved someone and lost will recognize herself on the pages. Been there, done that; got the t-shirt and the scars. The scenes in Las Vegas casinos refreshed my memories of working as the sole female security officer in Reno and Sparks casinos.

As a solo woman RVer, I could also relate to driving the highways across America in a class A and handling the breakdowns. Our road music is similar. Lotsimina Hannon, the heroine, described in agonizing detail her first attempt riding a motorcycle and made me smile. Yep, me too, with my legs as outriggers so I wouldn’t fall. Meeting a drop-dead gorgeous man with his huge—RV—will keep you intrigued while your coffee cools and your senses warm.

There is murder, mayhem, assault, kidnapping, a car chase or two, lies, deception…and friendship and support as only RVers can offer.

Read it at the beach, in the mountains, in the desert, in your RV or your home. Just read Some Like It Red Hot. You’ll be glad you did.

Balancing the budget

I was making copies of the book I wrote two years ago on how to RV frugally. I have been reading many posts on the RV Travel forum and other forums about handling the high price of gas. Many RVers are blaming the government, the ecologists, the Middle East and other factors. It's perfectly fine to place the blame elsewhere and we have the right to do so. However, I believe some of the blame lies within us. We knew this was coming.

One of the best pieces of advice I received on financial planning came from my parents and grandparents long ago (all of whom went through the Depression). They told me to save for a rainy day. It sounds trite but you've all heard it. So I did.

In the 70s, I read a short book that helped with my financial planning: The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason. I'm not going to reveal everything (I think you should read it yourself) but the first three principles are as follows:

10% of everything you earn is yours to keep. Pay yourself first.
10% of everything you earn should be saved. There's that rainy day.
10% of everything you earn should be invested so the money will grow.

You live on the rest.

When I bought my RV in September 2001, gas was $1.59 per gallon. I put 50 gallons in the 75-gallon rear tank and 25 gallons in the front tank. I never touched the back tank after that (other than adding Stabil) and when I sold the RV in 2007, the new owners were very pleased.

When I bought my second RV in June 2007, gas was $2.29 a gallon and I filled the single 72-gallon tank. Then I worked on the rig so I could get the best mileage possible.

We all know what the price of gas is now. So where does the extra money come from to purchase the gas? How many of us use the first 10%? How many of us have that first 10%?

My plan included having food for 90 days in the RV. No matter what happened to fuel or shipping costs, I could survive. That plan was done little by little on every payday shopping trip.

My savings plan included purchasing gold Sacajawea dollars every payday and saving them 20 at a time in 35 mm film canisters. You don't spend the money, it's easy to store and save. That became my B of A account: Bank of Adrienne. The economists used to tell us to have three months' salary on hand. I don't have that yet, but I have three tanks of gas. Maybe I should think of the savings as filling my tank.

Some RVers are selling their rigs at a loss because they can't afford the payments or they can't afford to drive them. With the economy in a recession, they're not finding many buyers. That's very sad and they have my sympathy. I truly wish they would find a way to keep their RVs for the peace of mind it will give them.

For me, an RV that's paid for is a great way to survive a recession. It's inflation proof. No matter what, you're never homeless. In case of disaster, you're protected and mobile. The registration and insurance fees decrease with time.

And when you finally think you've lost your mind and decide to escape to Canada or Mexico, you'll have a way to get there.

Yes, I'm trying to get you to smile through this trying time. We're going to make it. So start saving or add to your existing savings. It's raining, but the sun will be out soon.