We’re Alive

 

Seems like I have totally gotten out of the blogging habit.  It’s tough enough when one isn’t traveling.  Along with that, there really is nothing going on around here, not with the site and not with us.  (Guess that isn’t totally true.  There has been some preliminary work on the proposed gas pipeline replacement that is supposed to happen this year.  The pipeline runs on the property a bit and when/if this project takes off, I suspect things will be hopping around here for a while.)   We’re really just biding time until Winter departs.  There are so many things that have to be done during this weather that one doesn’t have to do during the other seasons of the year.  So, we are really just surviving.  Top that off with the fact that I just haven’t really felt like writing in recent months.  I seem to have lost the urge, the inspiration, the “whatever.”  Here’s a glimpse of what’s been happening.

We spent one morning taking turns moving snow away from one side of our rig.  Later in the day, the site electrician came by with his ATV which has a mini plow on it.  He moved all this snow away

It really helped to get all the snow away from at least one side of our rig.

• Resistance is futile; we have been assimilated.  The latest notice from Dave’s health insurance said that his policy was being cancelled due to the Affordable Care Act.  Long and short of it is that monthly premiums for our health insurance in the private sector have, or will be the end of this year, nearly tripled.  We simply cannot afford to keep our current insurance, which were 80/20 plans with premiums and deductibles we could handle.  We had no choice but to sign up for health insurance via the Exchange.  After a few futile attempts to create an account (system was repeatedly down due to technical issues), I was able to create an account and enroll us; the process took 45 minutes.  (I had done research prior to getting on the Exchange and knew exactly which policy I wanted; I’m certain that made the process go more smoothly.)  Because of our Texas residency, I was able to get a policy that is multi-state and should cover us where we travel.  I am not happy at the least with being forced out of our current coverage, but that’s an entirely different conversation. 
• Got the taxes done and dusted.  Parted ways with the CPA I had been with for 20+ years.  Whether he simply did not want to bother with our small account and/or the fact that he did not seem to grasp/understand our status as full-time RVers . . . I dunno, but his attitude had changed last year and still this year.  Sort of like he had a personality transplant.  Totally bizarre, and I never could get a reason . . . sort of sad, as we had a good rapport and relationship for, again, 20+ years.  Oh well.  Thank you, TurboTax!  Did the taxes myself and saved a bit of money by not paying CPA fees.  Our situation is less complex than back in the days when I had a home business, so it wasn’t too much of an ordeal.
• I have to confess I was kickin’ butt and takin’ names at the first part of this week, having done and filed both our federal and state taxes and enrolled us in health insurance within a 24-hour period.  I am Woman; hear me roar.
• Dave’s pinched neck nerve is still giving him extreme pain.  He was doing somewhat better but has had a relapse.  (Pushing and positioning a dumpster might have had something to do with that relapse . . . just sayin’.)   I’m hoping this will resolve with time, and the sooner the better.  That’s his right side.  He also has developed a “trigger” thumb which is swollen and painful; we believe this may have been exacerbated by his fall on the ice.  Since that’s on his left side, he’s sort of a total mess right now.  If he can hang in until the new insurance kicks in April 1, we’ll have to get both of these addressed if they are still bothersome.  Thing is, he’s really not getting a chance to heal what with the extreme cold and some heavy physical things that have to be done, i.e. changing propane tanks daily or every other day, etc..  I am doing virtually all the shoveling, which has not caused any issues and is actually good exercise since I’m not getting my walks in due to weather.
• Thank goodness for my virtual assistant gig.  It brings in a few extra dollars and gives me something to do these days when we’re essentially shut-ins due to the weather.
• Last Friday evening, we were outside and suddenly there were “fireworks” on one of the many electrical lines around.  Arcing and sparking and quite the show.  Then one of the parking lot lights started flickering off and on.  We smelled a bit of smoke – an electrical burning smell – and I saw green/blue flashes behind the mill.  Called 911 and a Holland PD officer came by.  Well, heck, it was still happening when he called to say he was on his way, but by the time he arrived everything was quiet again.  It was quite the show, actually.  The next day, we lost power; our electrician came by and determined it was a light company issue; called them and they came out that evening; the lineman replaced a blown fuse.  The next evening (last Sunday), the water well pump stopped working.  When our electrician checked that out, he found that the pump had “burned up.”  How much you want to bet these things were all related to our Friday night fireworks?  Never a dull moment around here.
• Speaking of weather, last weekend was actually quite nice with sunshine and highs in the 40s; however, it has been bitterly cold (we’re running about 21 degrees below normal this year) this past week and we’re awaiting yet another round of snow which is to arrive tomorrow afternoon/evening and hang around until Monday evening/Tuesday morning.
• We have maintained water in our rig, even with the latest round of minus-zero and single digit lows.  We turn off the shore water and run off the water pump.  When we are finished with water at bedtime, I turn off the pump and drain the taps.  So far we’ve had water when I turn the pump on the next day.  We’ve been lucky the past few days to be able to refill our fresh tank.
• Cool news is we’ll have a snow blower next year!  Yay!  Had a lengthy and really nice conversation with our local boss Friday afternoon.  He is a truly good guy, as is the whole team we work with here.  That is one of the reasons we are reluctant about jumping ship . . . it’s a good bunch of people.  That counts for a whole lot, these days.

Yep, I guess I really do need to get out more if I’m excited by the prospect of a snow blower . . . Ha!

Okay, laundry’s done and needs to be folded.  Sorry this was long; guess I need to update more frequently.  Didn’t even tell you about half the key falling out of the ignition (the other half still in the ignition) of the company truck while I was driving it here on the property.  Thankfully, I could still get it started/stopped and a local mechanic was able to get out the half in the ignition with a special set of picks.  When I saw the key ring fall to the floor with half the key on it . . . well, if I hadn’t been so frustrated I would have laughed.  Okay, so I did laugh later.  That was a new one . . .

Even when it’s quiet here, it’s not boring . . .

Thanks for stopping by!