Appraising the Appraisor

 As if this entire process has not made me crazy, this particular aspect of it has proven to be the most trying. We were assured that this man was an "EXPERT" in appraising campgrounds. Someone did not practice due diligence when choosing this expert.

This man is clueless and confused. The information he asked for had already been given to him on the day he was here. I was not impressed on that day and am even less impressed now. He seems to be totally ignorant about camping and RV's. Some of his questions could be answered by simply doing his job!

He texted all of his questions to HeWho was kind enough to offer his personal cell phone number. You might recall that I refused to give him mine. We have a business line and this is business and should be the channel through which imformation pertaining to the the campground. Am I right? This is rhetorical, as I already know I am right.

HeWho gives his cell number to everyone was going to try to text the information back to the clueless man, but I volunteered to call him myself. I asked if he still had my brochure with the map of the sites. And already, it begins. He says he has two, one black and white and another one with the seasonal sites on it. I only have ONE map and it is, indeed black and white. I have no clue what he was talking about, but, then neither did he.

I talked to him like I was talking to a camper when I am giving directions to a site. I told him to get his black and white map and follow along with me. He seemed to be confused about the markings and the legend that explained them. Some things have changed and we have not updated the map. I went over the each site with him and what ammenities each one had. He wanted to know how many 30 amp 'rustic' sites I have.

Rustic means no ammenities in campground terminology. So, there is no such thing as a rustic site with 30 amp electric. I kept my cool and calmly explained this to him. I had to explain how seasonal camping works and is charged as opposed to full time tenants. I was explaining everything in the simplest of terms and don't know how I could have "dumbed it down" anymore, but he still didn't understand that people full time camping live in their campers year round! Full time is self explanatory. He called back to get verification on that.

The most amazingly clueless question was about the power bills in 2019 and 2020. He wanted me to explain why the power bill for 2019 was so much less that the one for 2020! What happened, he wondered to cause it to increase so much? 

I wanted to ask him if he had been living under a log. 2019, pandemic, everyone stayed home. 2020 and the world was still crazy and everyone bought a camper and went camping. National news. And this is the man who will be telling the bank what my business is worth!

Who Ate My Jelly Beans?

 I found some jelly beans! While it is true that the expiration date was not legible, they were sealed. I decided to treat myself. I opened the tiny package and ate a few. Mr. BoJangles immediately became alert and appeared on the back of the sofa to see about my treat. I slipped him a tiny taste and he was not impressed with my sweet treat.

I left my bag on the table next to my chair and went to enclose my mattress in a cover and started moving boxes and finishing filling and taping some. Cooked dinner, answered the phone several times and then moved more boxes. Dinner over and I am tired. I remember I have a little treat awaiting me. As I take my seat on the sofa I see 3 tiny jelly beans in the otherwise empty bag. These are Jelly Belly, tiny little beans. I picked up the bag and asked, "Who ate my jelly beans?" 

I looked at each of my dogs. Bo was curious about the bag in my hand, his head tilted to one side. The doxie duo looked straight into my eyes. Toni Louise could not look at me. I repeated my query and she turned her head in shame. I asked again and got the same response. She finally went to hide behind the wood stove. Bad girl!

I purged more clothing from my drawers and closet today. I sent a huge container of blankets and towels to the animal shelter and just kept packing, then packing some more. I am still trying to motivate HeWho likes to talk. He will tell me what he is going to do, then just wait until I ask him when he plans to do what he planned to do. I give up.

I finally just started telling him what to do. He was more than happy to vacuum the store and the house, but when I ask him to sort through various boxes of stuff he has accumulated, it takes far too long.

The appraisor called with questions. A tale for tomorrow. I am still too angry and amazed. I need time to process the situation .....

HeWho Has No Concept Of Space

 The weekend was bitterly cold. We sat like slugs in front of the TV, warming our toes under blankets. Precious little was done in the way of packing.

I keep trying to impress the feeling of urgency on HeWho procrastinates. Mere weeks until moving day. Most of the packing on my part has been done. I have gathered all my stuff together and am ready to load the RV with all of our personal items necessary for day to day living.

HeWho procrastinates finally called for some moving estimates. I listened as he started listing stuff to be moved to the man. He was all over the place, forgetting, then adding stuff and then wondering what sort of space the various boxes and containers will take up inside a truck. Then wondering about the golf cart, deciding he should just pull it with his trailer, but then his wife would need to drive and can they add the car dolly to the truck.

The man on the other end of the line was so very patient and accomodating. I sat there in silence as I listened and he finally came back with a $7000 estimate. "WHAT" shouts my old man! Then he started telling the nice man that he could get the job done for half the price. That he had already gotten an estimate in writing!! Total bluff, but I figured I would just let him rant.

It occurs to me that we have turned into old people who like to reminisce about the prices of the good old days and refer to them as "just a few years ago". I wanted to call the nice man and back and apologize and thank him for his patience! I am usually on that side of a phone call dealing with people who have no clue about what they are asking for. 

The second call made to inquire about the cost of moving went a lot better. HeWho is one of those people who like to chat with the phone on speaker. Not a bad thing for him, since sometimes he can't hear clearly and I can stop him from replying stupidly to something he "thought" he heard. So when the new voice on the other end of the phone asked how many boxes would be involved, I raised my voice and talked over my old man. I told him all the boxes and such should fill a 5 X 8 space floor to ceiling. We have one bed, one mattress, no box springs, a table, 6 chairs, two glass front cabinets and a car dolly as well as two front porch rockers. Got the estimate for under $3000, made the reservation and paid the fee to hold it. Easy.

HeWho has no idea how I came up with that. I looked at the boxes and cleared a space in my old sewing room and figured they would all stack in the space I had mentioned. Today has been spent proving it.

The only way to get the trailer for hauling stuff to our new home is to pull it. This means I will definitely be driving with a car full of dogs. The cat and the turtle can ride with HeWho will be pulling the trailer. If Martha, the boy cat is anything like my old cat, Gremlin, he will find a hiding space as soon as he gets in the RV. I can put Dora, the adorable turtle in the shower in the RV and barricade her so that her habitat will not tip over as the RV goes around those tight curves into the higher elevation. Am I worried about the trip? Of course!

What If HeWho fails to secure the door to the bathroom and Martha discovers the opening at the top of Dora's habitat and kills her? What if HeWho accidentally loses Martha out the door when he stops for fuel and we can't find him? Yes, we have a kennel, already moved it. Besides that, Martha is not likely to behave in that kind of confinement. He might begin to howl and he can be really loud. 

The dogs will be fine. They have seat belts and should sleep most of the time once settled. Maybe the turtle should go with me. Then Martha can have the bathroom in the RV with his bed and litter box. That's a better plan. Dora can ride in the floor board of the front seat. Cujo will be in the front seat, while the three remaining dogs can share the backseat. This is NOT going to be a fun trip!

It has been a long day, my muscles are screaming. Tomorrow I will finish getting all the boxes into one room and finish cleaing the extra bedroom. Today I emptied 6 big trash cans into the dumpster. Still have two left to go out. 

Weather promises to warm Wednesday, so we can load the golfcart onto the trailer, along with the remaining planters, my wagon that dumps and all my garden tools. Then take apart my garden shed and load the parts. It is lightweight resin, plastic stuff and looks simple enough. Should make for a good post that day!!

Cat Condo

 Cujo here. I overheard Mom talking to HeWho is our Dad about buying a cat condo. What? I know what a condo is, I watch HGTV with Mom. I didn't know there were cat condos! 

How would this work? If only cats live in these cat condos who gets their food and water. Who changes the litter box? What do they do in these cat condos. Are they alone all the time?

Oh no! Does this mean Martha, the boy cat will not be moving with us? This is distressing! I waited until all of us dogs were outside to have a canine family meeting. Eddie was most upset. He loves Martha, they are best friends. When he was a small pup, Martha took care of him. You might recall that Martha is not fond of other cats and considers himself to be a caretaker of us dogs.

Toni Louise was not paying attention and apparently had nothing to add to the discussion, as she began chasing her own tail. She does this a lot. She seems to find it entertaining, although I am not sure why. Usually when she begins chasing her tail, Bo will join in and catch it for her. This will turn into a game of chase with the two of them racing through the yard and tripping each other. Although Toni has the advantage of long legs, Bo tends to outrun her. But, I digress (Mom finally explained this word to me).

Mr. BoJangles was not interested in Toni and her games. He was MAD. "Martha is MY CAT!" he said. This is not true, but we let him vent. He wants to plan a scheme to get Martha to our new house. Brace yourself before you hear his plan ...

Bo has been watching Mom pack boxes and he knows they are going to our new house. He wants to sneak Martha into a box and tape it up! He clearly has not thought this through!

Martha does enjoy sitting in boxes from time to time, but with the lid off. Bo was insistant that his plan would work and was spitting mad that Eddie and I did not agree. I pointed out to him that the boxes would be going on a truck. He would be stacked in with all the other boxes with no food or water. Now he wants to add food and water to the box. Eddie tried to explain that the water would spill when the box moved and asked how Martha would be able to do his business. Now Bo has added a litter box to the box! How big does he think this box can be without Mom noticing it?

Bo was still planning when Toni stopped spinning. She said she was ready to go in and barked for Mom. As she waited at the door she asked why we didn't just ask Mom about Martha. Really? I should have thought of that!

Mom laughed at us dogs for thinking she would leave Martha in a cat condo. I guess we should have known that Mom would never leave Martha, she raised him from a tiny kitten with a bottle. That turtle she talks to is going, so why would she leave our cat behind!

Then she told us what a cat condo is. I feel silly! It is only a place for Martha to climb and sit on! Mom wants one big enough to keep the litter box high enough that us dogs can't reach it. His food dish, too. She says that she wants to keep Martha mostly indoors until Spring in the new house. She wants him safe and not exploring in case he gets lost.

What a relief! I must confess that all of us dogs find cat food to be quite tasty. Toni Louise likes to dig around in the litter box looking for tasty morsels. I tried it once myself. Mom gagged and told me that I was never to lick her skin EVER again. Then she told me what I had eaten. She acted the same way when I swallowed that dead mouse that Martha had gifted me. She is so squeamish!

Hell Hath No Fury ...

 The packing continues. The findings of the appraisal won't be available for two weeks. HeWho doesn't want to continue packing. If the appraisal is a tool to lower the selling price, then this buyer will not be buying. His thoughts are that we would then have to unpack and start the process over again. My thoughts lean the other way entirely.

If we won't know for two more weeks, I don't want to have to race to get everything ready to go. He says we can stipulate additional time to get packed up. I say I don't want to have to try to get everything in order while the new owner is here going about the business of running the campground in the same building we are currently living in. It would be hard for me not to voice my opinion. If he/they were to ask my opinion on something .... well, I would voice my thoughts. I want to be able to leave the day after the closing.

Besides, I am not packing the things we use everyday. I can still cook, do laundry and all the things necessary for day to day life. All my cookware, our clothes and personal grooming items will all fit in the RV. I have already moved our summer wardrobe to North Carolina and purged all those clothes we had stuck in the back of the closet that we never wear. A lot of my kitchen stuff is already there. The only hardship we have suffered in my kitchen is the lack of cake pans. I couldn't make a three layer German chocolate cake for HeWho loves cake. Instead I was "forced" to use a 9 X 13 pan and make just one layer. 

The cake pans are in North Carolina. So, the next time he gets a hankering for a three layer cake, we will just have to go to the new house to make one! Problem solved. I am really good at organizing a move. Everytime we move I vow it will be the last time!

When this adventure began, it had us moving mid October. This is when the buyer wanted to take possession. When he told us money was no issue and made his offer. His offer was less than we wanted, but considering that it would eliminate broker fees, we felt it was fair. Based on that and his assurance that the loan would be no issue, we purchased our new home.

I was ready to begin the process of moving. I did my research online and found what we were looking for. I narrowed my seach down to about 6 prospects and contacted a realtor in North Carolina. We were looking in Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, but I knew what I wanted the first time I saw it.

We made a trip to Georgia and stayed in a campground central to the prospects. It was raining and dreary, not optimal for house hunting, but there we were. Acting on the advice of the realtor, we set out in the car to do drive-bys to determine the accessibility for our 40' motorhome. We started in Hiawassee, Ga. We were staying there, so it only made sense to go find the area that had 3 prospects.

Siri went with us, guiding us along the way. Well, most of the time as we wound up into the mountain we loss cell coverage periodically. In the dreary gray light, none of the properties looked appealing. They all had a lot of tree coverage and were all brown, making them look dark and foreboding. One even looked scary!

We came down out of the winding roads, knowing that none of them would work with their steep drives and the fact that we lost cell coverage. I suggested a short ride to North Carolina, just 9 miles away. HeWho tends to think he knows everything, reminded me that it was over the budget we had set. I argued (and I do it well) that it had been on the market for some time and had recently had a decrease in price ... and that it cost nothing to look.

I had already moved us in. I looked at it everyday and knew I wanted to be there. I also knew that HeWho would love it. I had shown it to him online several times and everytime he said he liked it, but it was over our budget. He had already dismissed it in his mind. It wasn't that much over budget and budgets need to be flexible. I did not say as much to him, just rode and talked about the properties we have already seen.

We finally found the right turn and pulled down the private drive. It was still raining lightly as we parked the car. He sat there looking while I gathered leashes to give the canines a walk. He joined me and walked to the edge of the ravine and looked down at the rushing water of the trout stream. I kept silent as I walked around and let the dogs pee on the boulders at the embankment.

The doors to the porch were not locked and I saw him enter one end and I came in the others, dogs and all. He was sitting there looking out at the mountains in the distance. I asked what he thought. Keep in mind that we had yet to see the inside of the house, other than the view through the siding door in the living room. He said, "Let's make an offer."

We did, they countered, we countered and just like that it was done! Our short trip was not wasted. I did not know that the realtor I called had his face plastered on billboards that we saw all along the way on our journey home. He took care of everything and definitely earned his money, at no cost to us! Everything was done remotely involving a few phone calls and e-signing online.

This when everything got complicated with this sale. When it became aparrent that money was, indeed, a very big issue. When the offer went down by $100,000!  We finally agreed to this, as long as the closing costs and any incidentals would not be paid by us. I was not happy with this, but finally gave in. I just want to go live my life in my little house in the mountains. But, that is a lot of money!

And here we are in a brand new year, waiting. Paying utility bills in two locations and I won't believe it is over until I sign on the dotted line. I made my plans according to the word of the buyer and he has proven to be unreliable. He has an accomplice ("investor") now, who I believe is the motivation behind the decrease in the offer and the one spear-heading all the road blocks to my escape from here. 

It is all I can do to be civil. I recognize that she is manipulating the actions of the buyer. I know this because I am quite capable of the same. She has sent some rather condescending emails my way. I could reply and out-condescend her, but I choose to ignore them. No reply is, indeed, a reply!

The buyer is here now, wanting to inventory all the equipment he expects to be his at the end of this. With the initial offer we were willing to leave most everything in the barn and the store. No longer am I willing to fund his new venture with a store full of merchandise and a barn full of equipment. He is getting a profitable turn-key operation with tenants who pay monthly and seasonal who pay annually. I have been culling out anything I can sell and doing so. Rape me of $100, 000 and make me stay here when I don't want to. What is it they say about a woman scorned and fury?

The Night Was Long

Cujo here again. Mom read your comments to me! Am I famous? Mom says that I will always be famous to her, but other people like me, too! Mom told me not to get a big head about it. I did not know this could happen! How big do you think my head might get? I hope not too big because I stand rather low to the ground and it would take great effort to hold it high enough!

I liked that comment Val made about Martha, the boy cat, being on the table beside Dad's chair. That Val is very clever. She should know that Martha does enjoy sitting in boxes, but I wouldn't want to be the one to pick that box up as Martha is what Mom calls a hefty boy. This means that Martha is fat! Call it what you want, but he is fat. Why she tries to disguise this fact with words is beyond me!

She seems to have no problem telling me tht I am fat! Just yesterday when she was calling us dogs in, she yelled "Run, fat boy, run!" at me. So rude. Then she pointed out to me that I was always the last one in the door. That may be true, but the others lack the dignity I have aquired over my many years. I watch my step, so as not to disgrace myself by tripping! Am I carrying a bit of extra weight? I could be.

Now that Mom is well, she is back to her old habits of not being able to fall asleep. When this happens, I will leave the bed to find her. I sneak out from under the covers and slide to the floor and tip-toe out of our bedroom. She will usually be on the sofa with this laptop, reading. Sometimes she will have a cup of tea and if I am really lucky, a cookie or two.

Last night she got up to take some pills for her headache and to use the bathroom. I felt her slip out the bed as I woke from a dream about those cookies. She will dunk them in her tea and she always shares with me. The cookies are quite plain, not real sweet, but so delicious when it is just me and Mom. I like that special time with just the two of us.

Maybe I was a little too eager as I thought about tea and cookies and did not use my usual stealth as I jumped to the floor. Mr. BoJangles sensed something and decided to join me. He has taken to sleeping completely under the covers down by Mom's feet. She likes this, says it keeps her toes toasty warm, though I don't know why she would want to have her toes toasted. 

When Bo emerges from his place under the covers, he makes quite a production of it by slinging the covers up with his head and inching along until he reaches the beginning of the covers, then scrambling over the side of the bed and making a big thump when he jumps to the floor. I have much to teach this pup!

He woke Eddie and Toni Louise, who sleeps completely uncovered between Mom and Dad's heads. Eddie and I like to borrow under the covers, leaving a gap where we put our noses out, you know, the proper position for sleeping. Eddie was startled and began barking. I suppose he thought something was going on and he needed to alert Dad. 

HeWho is our Dad rarely wakes for anything. Mom says a marching band could invade our bedroom and he would sleep through the performance. Eddie is a loud barker with a very deep resonance. Mom says he sounds more like a doberman that a doxie. I have never met a doberman, but Mom says they can sound quite scary. Anyhow, Eddie is one of the few things that will wake HeWho is our Dad.

Dad woke and yelled at Eddie to cut it out. Those are the words he uses when he wants something to stop. I don't know why, as it has nothing to do with scissors or knives. Charming Eddie is a very sensitive soul and is also afraid to jump down from the bed, so he was quite upset that Mom was not there to console him. Dad was annoyed and awake and Toni Louise was just following me. Bo was half awake, shaking his head, and I was in the lead.

Mom was just in the bathroom. No tea, no cookies and she was annoyed with me! I got scolded, as she scooped me up in her arms and put me back in the bed without a kiss to my sweet head! It was a long night! 

 

To Pack or Not To Pack

 Cujo here. I am happy to report that my Mom is finally feeling better. I was by her side the entire time that she was sick. She sounded like she was barking like us dogs!

I must confess that I am not so happy that Mom is well. I mean, I am happy she feels better, but now that she feels better she is always busy putting all of our stuff in boxes. This cuts in on our napping time. HeWho is our Dad still naps, but I am not likely to cuddle with him! 

Even if I wanted to cuddle with him, I am not his dog. Toni is his dog. Martha, the boy cat, has been sitting with him a lot since we returned from our last trip. He thought that Martha must have missed him. Martha told me that was not the case! Martha had taken over his chair in his absence and would really prefer to sit there alone. Martha is quite heavy and even though HeWho is our Dad complains about Martha's weight, he will not take the hint and leave the chair to Martha!

These men came in our house the other day. Just walked right in. I had never seen them before, but mom scooped me up before I could defend my territory! One of them even reached out to pet me and Mom asked him if he wanted to keep his fingers. I prefer to bite ankles, myself. It is funny to watch big men run from me. I could tell that Mom wasn't liking the men and I was ready and willing to attack.

I heard her tell Dad that she should have let me have my way with them! She said she knew that the dogs could tell she didn't like them and that if I went into attack mode, all of us dogs would follow. It really would have been great fun, you know.

I got really cold last! They checked the weather at our new house and it was't a cold there. I wish we were there! Mom says she wishes that we were there, too. Martha keeps asking me questions about it. I told him about the woods and he said he would be ready to explore. I told him abot the stream that has some fish in it. Martha is not a big fan of fish. He prefers rabbits and birds. He told me he had a refined palate. I am not sure what that is and told him to stop acting so uppity!

Life is pretty boring right now. Everyday is just more boxes and that loud tape Mom puts on them. Then she writes on the box. She calls it labeling and she asked HeWho is our Dad if he was labeling his boxes. He said he was, but she decided to check. He labeled one box "table beside my chair". 

Mom asked him if the box contained a table. When he said it didn't and she asked what was in the box, he said the stuff that was in the table beside his chair. Then she asked if the stuff in the box was going to be in table beside his chair in the new house. He said he didn't know. So she asked him what exactly was in the box and to please not tell her that he scooped everything into the box that was in and on the table beside his chair.

He has a pained expression on his face. She said, "You did, didn't you?" He didn't answer her. So she told him that she assumed it had everything he laid on that table in the box. Then she started naming all the things she cleans off that table. Loose change, pocket lint, candy wrappers, old reciepts that do not need to be kept. She told him that she would most likely repack his boxes in order to not move trash!!

She was not happy about it. I don't know why she told him to pack anything, she has always said that he doesn't know how. Wouldn't it be simpler to just do it herself? I am not gong to ask her. You can if you want.