Happiness, and Talking Cat

Here's another new app I just found.  It's called Talking Tom (but I changed it's name to Millie).  You talk to it, and it repeats back to you. It's drinks milk, you can hit it's toes and it'll complain, rub it's tummy and it'll purr, etc.  Hit it a bunch of times, and it's a KO.  Free.  I made one for each of my kids' kids, and emailed it to them.  Andrew and Lauren asked Kristy how she did that.  Pretty neat, huh?  (BTW, as you know, I'm not affiliated in any way with the things I post here.)

It's only 40 seconds:

Katie's Friend, Millie

Well, that made me happy. : )

On Oprah today, they were talking about happiness.  One very interesting point was made that I've never heard before.  There are a handful of things that make us happy - liking our work, marrying the right person, having enough money for the essentials, having friends, having enough sex...  but one of the most important things, the expert said, is where you live.

Oh, yeah...I definitely see Happiness here!

I wish they had elaborated on that more, but the show was over right after he said that.  I think this could be why full-timers seem to be so happy, at least the ones who blog seem to be pretty happy on a regular basis.  You pick where you live all the time.  If you love a place, you can stay for a while.  If you don't like it, you move on.  You get to live at the ocean, in the middle of the desert, up in the mountains, at a campground, anything you want.  

I've never heard anyone say that where you live is that important for happiness.  I can see how where you live could make you miserable, though.  So I guess the reverse is also true.  Don't you think?

From Me and My Dog, Katie, have a nice day, everyone! : )

Amazon Appstore for Android

I  know a bunch of you have new Android phones, and I wanted to tell you about Amazon.com's Appstore, in case you haven't heard about it yet.  I saw a little news blurb about it today and logged on to see what it offered.  It advertises one free app every day for Android phones.  That isn't such a big deal since there are so many free apps anyway, but I found a list of 100 free apps and downloaded a bunch. 

It was very easy - you will be prompted, with your phone handy, to enter your phone number, and then follow the easy directions to install the Amazon installer app.  Then pick your apps!

Here's what I got for free tonight:

Today's advertised freebie is a game:

 Angry Birds Rio

  I also got:

Angry Birds Seasons Free

 ColorNote Notepad Notes 

Compass

 

Catch Notes

Roller Lite

 

Scanner Radio

WiFi Analyzer 

Wordsmith Free

These are my nine new apps.  I don't know if I will keep them all, but I love Skee-ball and Scrabble, the Wi-Fi app shows the nearest wi-fi places available, whether they are locked or not, you can even pin-point them on a map. 

The scanner radio - I don't know.  It was kind of heard to decipher the voices when I listened for a minute.  Might come in handy, though.  The Angry Bird games are very popular.  I tried one when I first got my Android phone.  It was fun at first, then I got stumped and couldn't go further and gave up.

The Compass could be really good to have - I also have a "level" app that will come in handy when leveling my RV.  

The Catch Notes and ColorNote Notepad Notes are obviously both note apps, but they look different, and Catch Notes goes with the Compass app, so I'll keep both for now and see which I find more useful.

There you have it - I now have 87 apps.  Sounds like a lot, but I do use a lot of them, and others are there for that JIC - Just In Case - scenario.  If you are interested, google Amazon's Appstore and have fun!

From Me and My Dog, have a great Wednesday, everyone!  : )

Do you carry an "8" in your wallet?

First, a big WELCOME to Teri, our newest Follower.  Thanks for signing on, Teri.  I'm planning to be a full-timer, hopefully I'll purchase a used Class C this summer or fall (sooner if the right one falls into my lap), keep working until December, then hit the road.  I CAN'T WAIT!  I hope you enjoy following the process with me and Katie, my dog, and then the adventures we'll have starting January 2012 or sooner. : )

Quick blog today.  I've been wanting to ask you all if you have heard of carrying an "8" in your wallet.

 

I heard someone talking about it on the radio one night a few years ago.  He said if you put a piece of paper with the number 8 on it in your wallet, money will come your way.   Listeners were calling in and telling stories about how it worked for them.

I'll believe about anything, so I went to my computer, typed an 8 in a large font, printed it out and cut it into a small square.  I put it in my wallet. 

I have to tell you, I forget it's there, but once in a while I clean out my wallet, take out old receipts and other things to throw away, then I see the eight.  Each time I think about it and what it's there for.

I've never been poor or really wanted for anything I needed, never went to bed hungry. I've never had a lot of money, either.  But it seems like since I have had that 8 in my wallet, my finances have been smoother.  It's not that money has dropped out of the sky or anyone has given me money, but opportunities have come my way to make money, I've had more refunds and rebates, my tax returns have been more than I expected.  Little things here and there.  Sale prices, good deals seemed to come my way.  And my attitude about what I wanted and/or needed changed.  Sounds weird, doesn't it?

I think that most things in life happen because one way or another we make them happen. It might be unconscious or subtle, but we pretty much float our own boats.  And I think having that 8 caused a subtle change in my thinking and spending.  Maybe the sales and deals were because I researched more.  Maybe I was subconsciously looking for more opportunities to make money and was willing to take them.  I've been saving more money than I ever have before, and paying down debt.  And it hasn't been difficult.

Did the 8 make all that happen?  Of course not, I did it.  But did the 8 somehow help me change?  Who knows?   I think maybe it did.

Do any of you have an 8 in your wallets?

From Me and My Dog, Katie, have a great Monday evening, everyone! : )

Hydroponic Peace Plant with Beta Fish

When I was outside yesterday, my neighbor called me over to see what she made.  It was a Hydroponic Peace Plant.  Have you seen those?  I made one years ago, but had forgotten about them.  Hers was beautiful! I wanted one again.

I had a repair man here fixing my washing machine, and as soon as he left I went shopping to get the materials I needed to make one.  I already had the clear vase and rocks, but needed the male Beta fish and a Peace Plant. I had trouble finding a good plant, but finally found a gorgeous one at Home Depot.  I got the fish at WalMart.  They had quite a selection, most had beautiful colors.  The males are the most vibrant, females are more bland in their coloring.

Pretty with a turquoise ribbon 

 Isn't he gorgeous?

This would make a nice gift

I put a blue ribbon around the vase, but it should have a wide, wired ribbon with a big, pretty bow.  It's off to Michael's today.  They have tons of ribbon, and should have a good color that will match my new fish.

If you haven't seen these, there are a few plants that will thrive in water only, and don't need dirt.  (Although they are in pots with dirt when you buy them.) The fish gets what it needs from the roots of the plant, and the plant gets fertilizer from the fish droppings.   Betas are perfect for this, I don't know if other fish would work, but I know only one Beta should be in the water, because they will kill other fish and other Betas.  They are so beautiful and graceful. 

I think this would make a nice gift, but I would give a smaller one.  Minimal care - occasionally add water, once a day add Beta food.  I think after a while the fish gets all he needs from the roots and you can stop feeding.  That will become apparent if/when he doesn't touch his food.

If you are interested in making one of these, you can use a smaller vase and smaller plant.  If I ever do this again, I'll make a smaller one.   Mine is 38 inches tall, from the bottom of the vase to the top of the tallest flower.  Too tall for my dining room table.  It almost hits the chandelier.  

The only hard part - be prepared for this! - is getting all the dirt off the roots.  It took me forever, and I had to take the plant apart, break intertwining roots, used my kitchen faucet sprayer, pulled little dirt-embedded baby roots off, and finally got tweezers to reach spots my fingers couldn't reach.  What a pain!  A smaller plant would have fewer roots, and they wouldn't be so entwined.

This photo is from the link I found with materials/directions on the web.  I was going to add the link, but now I can't find it.  It had great directions, so if you're interested, you'll have to Google for it yourself.  I'm usually a good researcher, but this one stumped me when trying to find it again.

 Hydroponic Peace Plant with Beta Fish

I've heard during my lifetime how there is nothing new.  When I saw my neighbor's plant, I thought of that.  Once you get to be my age, there is little that's new.  Things just recycle - you enjoy them, you forget about them, then they come back.  Sometimes they are a little different, but you remember them, and they feel familiar.  This one was exactly like the one I made long ago, and it brought back some great memories of people and places.  I guess that's why I immediately wanted to put another one together.

From Me and My Dog, Katie, have a great weekend, everyone! : )

Cody correction: Chiweenie

I have a correction to make about what kind of dog Cody is - Kristy, my daughter, had told me he "has a face like a German Shephard puppy."  I thought she said he was part German Shephard.  Chihuahua/German Shephard mix - well, I'll leave that one alone.

They think he is part Chihuahua and part Dachshund.  This mix is called a "Chiweenie."  That's a new one on me!  I've never heard of it, but I guess with so many Chihuahuas now, we are going to get all kinds of new blends.  Here he is again, with granddaughter, Lauren, in the background--I recognize the shirt. : )

Cody

Kristy and the kids, Andrew and Lauren, Skyped me today and I got to see Cody in person - or at least on the screen.  He is so cute.  He IS very calm but can run fast and was playing with the kids, running after his ball -  they were screaming and laughing and running.  Cody plays really well with the kids, and they were very good with him. 

I can't wait to see how he and Katie get along.  Katie plays and runs with people, but I've never seen her play with another dog.  We'll be there a few days over Mother's Day, so Katie and Cody will have a chance to get to know each other.  Katie has never spent time with another animal since I've had her.

I was looking at Kristy's Facebook for a new photo of Cody, but the one above is the only one there, sorry for the repeat.  But I found a few new ones of my granddaughter, Lauren - couldn't resist:

 Lauren at the Park

 

Isn't that hair just great?!?

That's all for tonight - good grief - it's almost midnight.  Sleep well, everyone, from me and Katie! : )

My new dog-faced grandson & Happy St. Patrick's Day

We have a new addition to the family!  When my daughter Kristy e-mailed me about a new family addition, I saw the subject line and thought, a Baby???  A new room in the house???  Well, the new addition is a dog.  They have been wanting a dog for a long time.  My granddaughter, Lauren, three, just LOVES Katie.  Andrew, almost 6, likes her okay, but pretty much stays away from Katie.

 My dog-faced grandson, Cody

So, last weekend they were at the pet shelter and saw this little guy, who was perfect for them.  They named him Cody, he's  a four year old rescue dog, part Chihuahua (his body and legs) and German Shepherd (his head and face).  Isn't he cute?  He looks like a puppy.  Kristy said even Andrew loves him, so he must be a winner.  Kristy said he has a really nice nature, and in two days they haven't heard him bark.  They are sooo lucky - that's Katie's only real fault - she's a barker (but getting better).

I'm sure Lauren and Andrew are really enjoying Cody.  I'm driving up to visit them for Mother's Day, so I will get to meet him then. And Katie will meet her new ... nephew?

 These are the BEST Irish Coffees - at the Buena Vista in San Francisco.

Have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day, everyone, from me and Katie!  Irish Coffee, anyone?  : )

An early Easter Bunny Katie

A BIG WELCOME to three new followers:

David, who is "off to Mexico" soon.  His is a new blog and tells the tale of getting "Dod" ready for travel.  Here is what Dod looked like when he bought it:  "the cab over section had been pushed in about 6" by a low tree branch; the windshield was cracked; one tire was flat; the battery was dead (really dead); the spark plug wires had been chewed by mice; the carpet was filthy; there was an odor reminiscent of a tom cat..."  This is a man with gumption!  I love it.  Actually it's a really cute looking RV.  Dod is a Dodge missing the ge from the nameplate.  So far I have really enjoyed this blog!

Donna K, who will be traveling with her husband, Russ and two dogs in a beautiful new Lazy Daze named "Therapy."  They've had a large RV carport built in their driveway to house their new RV.  Now they are figuring out where to spend the month of April in the new rig.  Sounds like fun!

and,

Melissa33 - I don't see a blog listed for you, Melissa.  If you have one, or start blogging, let me know and I'll follow along with you, too.

Thanks for becoming followers to you all!

We're a bit early, but here's Katie's new Easter outfit:

Little Katie Bunny

She actually walked around the patio then around the living room with these ears on.  Then...a good shake, and goodbye, ears!  She is such a good sport, as you all know. : )

My grandson, Gavin, came for a visit yesterday.  As usual we were busy all day, played with the Wii, then took a photo shoot walk to the lake.  I gave Gavin my old camera to use, and it was amazing how quickly he got it.  Hold the camera in both hands, look into the view finder, use one finger to adjust the distance, hold still and push down the button.  That's a lot for a six year old to learn and he got it instantly.  These kids have such good hand/eye coordination because of all their electronic games!  So we snapped away on the way to the lake.  He took a photo of some flowers in my walkway, an American flag in a neighbor's front yard, and a self portrait among others.  

 Self Portrait

Katie and Gavin

We fed the ducks,walked over for lunch outside on the patio of the cafe by the lake (outside because Katie was with us).  Gavin got compliments from the waitress for being so well behaved.  Katie, too.  The waitress asked if Katie was friendly, and I said yes, so she bent over and petted her, obviously a dog lover.  She said Saturday a woman was there sitting on the patio for lunch, and she had her Chihuahua with her.  The dog was really "snappy," and tried to bite the waitress.  Then she said, "Actually the woman was pretty snappy, herself!"  Like owner, like dog.  Funny.

 The Mickey Mouse Pancakes - Gavin's lunch

Coming in for a landing...and some bread.

Two ducks and a seagull all going for the bread.

Then we walked home, Gavin found a couple of hiding places in the bushes around my condo, then he played the Wii again while I downloaded the photos he took.  I printed them out after he left and he got them today.

 Gavin in a secluded spot behind the bushes

A good time was had by all.  I was asleep before 7:00, totally knocked out, so was Katie.  And today I was sore from all the exercise.  Katie and I have been waaaaay too sedentary during the winter months.  But still, I don't know why I'm so totally beat after a day with a grandchild.  Maybe because it's constant activity.  And the fact that I'm 60 years older than Gavin.  : )

From Me and My Dog, Katie, have a great Monday evening, everyone!  : )

The Owl USTREAM video

I don't know if you have noticed the owls at the bottom of my blog.  It's a real time video of an owl nesting box in Oceanside, CA.  This is all new to me, but a woman I work with was ga-ga over this owl family last year, and this year I started watching it.  It's a USTREAM - I guess like a small camera that goes 24/7 and records what's going on.  I'd love to have one in my condo during the day so I could see what Katie is doing.  Kind of like a Nanny Cam.

Anyway, this female owl, Sydney sits in the nest and over a couple of weeks lays 7 eggs. Aproximately every other day.  Six have hatched, one was not viable.  During the night the male owl, Mel, brings her food, like mice, gophers, rabbits, etc.  Now that she has baby owls, she feeds them and is teaching them to feed themselves.  I've learned so much from the woman at work and the comment section on the side of the streaming video.  These are beautiful birds, and their babies look like prehistoric animals.  Dinosaur birds.

 Here's Sydney with an owlet peeking out.

 Sydney is moving around.  You can see unhatched eggs and some owlets.

When this photo was captured, there were three babies and three eggs.

Notice the food that Mel brought her during the night.

During the day it's clear and very interesting, the night cam isn't as good, but they are still pretty active.  Poor Sydney, she was sitting on these seven eggs, all was well, now they are hatched and getting bigger every day, starting to grow feathers, wiggling around constantlly, and every time she sits down, one of them is popping out a head or a tail.  Sometimes it's really funny! : )

The box starts out plain wood, but as you can see, she now has a soft lining of fur for her babies to nestle in.  You don't wanna know!  Unless you have a strong stomach or a real interest in the way birds nest.  But it is fascinating.  Nature is wierd and wonderful.

That's it for today - from me and Katie, have a great Wednesday, everyone! : )

Happy Birthday, Katie, Air Chair and moderating comments

Katie's birthday was Sunday, February 20, and she is now 5.

  

I wanted to show you a photo of my Air Chair, which I mentioned in a previous post.  During the winter I take it down, and when the rain stops I hang it back up.  There's a bolt in one of the studs of my overhang on the patio that is strong enough to hold the chair with a person sitting in it.

It's the most comfortable chair!  There is a separate "hammock" that your feet rest on, arm rests, and a cup holder.  It swings, or you can just sit back and relax with your feet up.

In a past job I used to work the local homeshow for my company, and there were two things I wanted, an Air Chair and a VitaMix blender.  My boss told me to go over and talk to the salespeople and ask if I could buy one at a discount that they were using for demonstrations during the show.  They sold them for less at the end of the show.  If I was the first person to ask, I'd get it.  I guess they use new ones for each show, and selling the demonstration unit was a good deal for them and me.

That's how I got both my Air Chair and my VitaMix, both of which I've had for years and love.
 
I think I forgot to mention that I had the comment moderation turned on now - I did that because of all the spam I was getting and I was worried that might have something to do with the hacking issues (or whatever the heck that was).  Probably caused by something totally different, but it was suggested that I use the moderation just in case.  Sorry for the extra step, I hated having to do it, but thank you for hanging in there and leaving the comments.  I actually forgot about it and when I checked today and I had no comments.  Gone too long?  Everyone's forgotten me?  Then I went into the comment section to see if I had spam to delete and there were lots of comments to moderate!  That was something new.  Lo and Behold - Comments!  So, thank you.

From Me and My Dog, Katie, have a great Tuesday evening, everyone! : )

Construction is finally finished!

WELCOME to Dave Murphy!  I'm sorry I haven't blogged since you became a Follower - don't take it personally. : )  I'll post more as I get closer to summer and start shopping in earnest for my RV, have my estate sale and...  start full-timing!   I didn't see a blog listed for you, let me know if you have one so I can follow along with you, too.

The roof has been repaired, the mold taken care of, the walls rebuilt and painted, and my bedroom is back to normal.  The construction crew painted all the walls and the ceiling, too.  The room looks really nice and it's sooooo nice to be back sleeping on a regular bed again.

 The Warning before entering into the contaminated area

Two partial walls were replaced

This is where the main leak was.

Drywalled, spackled, then textured.

Walls and ceilings painted, drop cloths and plastic walls removed, furniture moved back, and here we are, back to normal:

All the decorative items, photos, pictures on the walls were removed during the repairs and construction, and I'm not sure I want to drag them all out again, put new holes in the walls, etc., when I'll be renting the condo sometime this year.

We've had a couple of heavy rain storms since they repaired the roof, and I was so glad I didn't have to worry about the water coming in anymore.  Katie is pretty happy, too.  She can stay home and sleep during the day, now, instead of having to come to work with me and stay in the car or in her crate in my office.  She was getting real tired of that crate, and after lunch - which I eat in the car - she wouldn't come with me back to the office.  She wasn't getting her usual peaceful all-day-long sleep, and I think she's pretty happy getting back to normal, too. : )  Having my bedroom off limits had me more off-kilter than I realized until it was over. 

I've gotten the air quality report, and will recieve a final report this week.  I'm going to put all the reports and photos in a folder and forget about them until I need them for a sale.  So, now onward and upward!  

On Friday I started thinking about looking for RVs again.  I hope to get one after the summer and stopped by Camping World to see what they had.  They actually had one that I really liked - at least the floor plan.  It was a 2005 Fleetwood Jamboree 23 E with the kitchen in the back.  I keep going back and forth about what I think I want, and I'm back to my original floor plan.  I really liked the floor plan and the extras the Fleetwood had, but I didn't like the interior color, it was very well-used (lots of chips, etc.) and had a musty, uriney smell. 

 I love these rear kitchens

The salesman said it's easy to change out the colors and he could reduce the price to reflect what that would cost me, but the smell really bothered me.  He said it was probably from the tanks, but I haven't smelled that in other used RVs I've seen.   

It's $39,995, which seemed high for a 2005, but I don't know much about pricing yet.  Of course I know they would come down, but not to $30,000, which he said someone else had offered and the offer had been rejected.  Around $30K is the neighborhood I'd like to stay in. 

So, it's not the one for me, but I'll definitely be looking for that year and style.  If I found the perfect RV for the right price, I'd try to get it now.  I think I could swing it, and I'd just lease my condo sooner and stay in a local RV park while I'm still working.  That's the plan in the fall, but I could do it earlier.

Have you changed colors inside your RV?  Had the cushions recovered?  I wonder what that would cost me.  There's a local place, the salesman said, that they would refer me to, so I guess if I find the perfect rig with a color I don't like, I would look into it.  I could always paint, change out wallpaper borders, and change the flooring. Since I'll be buying used, that would probably all be a good idea, anyway unless I find a particularly clean unit.

On the way home, there was an estate sale going on a few streets from mine, so I stopped to talk the the owner of the company putting it on.  I wanted to know how they work, and what it costs to hire them.  It was pretty interesting.   I'd have to be moved out, then they come in on a Sunday, stage everything left in the place, price everything, and place ads in local papers and in lots of internet sites from here to Los Angeles.  He said most of the good stuff is sold through the ads on Wednesday and Thursday.  The serious shoppers drive to sales on Wednesday/Thursday while the best stuff is still available. 

The "Estate Sale" signs go up out at the main road and around the neighborhood on Thursday and the sale is on through Sunday.  At the end, everything not worth worrying about is left for Goodwill or similar companies that come out and pick them up and leave receipts for me for tax write-offs.  He has a warehouse that he uses to store things that are still worth selling, and he brings them to the next couple of sales and tries to sell them.

At the end, he keeps 35% of the funds earned.  I'd get 65%.  I love the idea of taking only what I need in the RV, what I want to store, and what I want to throw away, and leaving the rest for them to deal with.  That's worth 35% to me.  It's all done in a week, and they probably get more people to come that I'd ever get, and they know how to stage and price things, so they would probably sell more.  Like every job, there are tricks to the trade, and he knows them.

When everything is gone, I'd take the next week to vacuum, clean the patio, kitchen and both bathrooms, do a little painting where needed, and that would be it.  In two weeks or less it would be ready to lease.

One of the things I've been dreading is the "getting rid of everything" phase.  It seems like such hard work, takes so long, and is so emotionally draining in many of the blogs I've read.  I live in a really safe area, but after posting items in Craig's List, I worry about the peole who came in and looked around.  Although I did well and sold a lot of things, I don't think I want to do that again.  I've heard too many horror stories.  I like the idea of an Estate Sale, which eliminates all that.

So, that's the plan.  All I have to do is find the perfect little Class C and I'm on my way!

 Katie proudly walking around with both her chew toys in her mouth.

What a silly girl!

From me and my dog, Katie, have a great evening, everyone!  : )