Looking For A Lull

Ok so no new news on the house front;  The kitchen is still tore up and we are still waiting on the insurance and contractors to reach an agreement so they can start putting us back together.  This does not stop us from planning though, because life moves on even if everyone else isn't ready. I've been looking around and doing some research lately into what we may need to consider while we are in AZ and of course that means making another list so here it goes.   It's warmer there but still gets cold.  Packing clothes to match those dips in weather isn't the issue rather keeping Chappy warm and free of frozen pipes etc, is where I'm looking.  Much to consider here and I get the feeling I should maybe have started looking into this earlier however I'm formulating a plan that involves some heat tape, a small space heater and using our fresh water tank as primary water source most of the cold times.  I'll have to remember to come back report on our final ...

So I've spent the last few days working from the trailer and I have to say it's been pretty smooth.  First the cell signal has gotten better here over the last year and I have not had to use the WeBoost at all. I've been using my Sprint phone for hotspot and with a 50GB monthly limit on hotspot data, I've worked out that gives me around 20-25 days of work time.  Being that the phone has unlimited data to itself, we've been using it to stream Prime Video and Netflix, sharing the screen with the TV.  I still have the Google Fi hotspot to use too if I need it and in case of dire emergencies, I could relocate to the truck and use it's wifi. I want to experiment working at different locations in the trailer to see what will be the most comfortable and convenient.  I think next week I'll try putting a chair in the bunk room and setting the laptops up on the top bunk to see how that goes. My current work setup. Thinking about putting a chair on that ...

We found a local campground for Chappy!  We are excited about having a place for him to sit during the summer months that we can go when we aren't on the road with him.  The campground caters mostly to families with young children as it has a small lake where there are slides and inflatables, batting cages, a goat petting zoo, and things of that nature, our kids even went there years ago for a homeschool event, but it also checks off all the items on my list. It's only 15 minutes from the house!  I wasn't really expecting to find somewhere that close. They like puppies.  (They say only two in the rules but said they would make an exception because Sara is so old she will rarely leave the camper.) It's a corner lot.  A bit larger than the other lots they had available, and easier to get in and out.  It's not a pull through but if you are going to back in regularly it's close to perfect. The cell service (Without the WeBoost) is strong enough for me to...

I spent the day working from the trailer.  Not a glitch with the internet all day and it was a pretty busy day.  It's nice to be able to walk along the river during lunch or have the option to take the laptop outside and enjoy the warm weather! We met up with Jackie for dinner at a Polish restaurant called Krachovia over in Spring Hill, about 10 minutes from the campground.  The food was good, a little pricey for what it was, and the deserts were not something I'd order again if I went back.  My cheese cake was more like cake than cheese.  Jackie at Krachovia Business suit After dinner we came back and I started a fire and spent a couple hours relaxing and soaking up the heat. Cutout Fire pit Other side

Sunday was a relaxation day.  We went to the store and then hung out with Grandma for a while, sitting on the porch while letting the Donk play in the yard. I picked up a couple of tall skinny reflectors, drilled some holes in the stumps and put the reflectors in them so they can be seen easier at night.  Don't want anyone else driving over them.  I'd love to do more than that, but I don't have any tools with me for breaking up stumps. Later we came back to the campground and tested out the new Weboost cell signal booster to make sure it was going to work for me when I worked on Tuesday.  That thing is pretty solid!  I went from no signal to 4 bars and streaming netflix after it was set up.  I was a little worried it would blow down because it was pretty windy, but those mounts stick really well. Inside Antenna Inside powered booster Outside antenna on the pole On Monday Karen and I went shopping.  There are two western stores that we...

Traveling to campgrounds and visiting family in rural Michigan has proven that there are challenges that must be overcome if I am to visit without burning vacation days.  I work remotely so I need a solid internet connection to do my job. Campgrounds usually have some sort of WiFi, but it is unreliable and often times when it does work good it's not long before all the bandwidth is sucked up by people streaming cartoons for their kids or downloading the entire catalog of "The Simpsons" or that's at least how I imagine it when I try to check my email. Campgrounds are also located in rural, quiet, remote areas where cell phone service is also often problematic.  The old camper was located at one such campground.  My cell would work well sometimes and there would be no signal at others.  I recall working from the trailer one time and my connection went up and down more often than a toddler at bedtime. We often stay at my Mother-in-law's house in Michigan when w...