Christie's Adventures

What a beautiful weekend we had! The temperature could not have been more pleasant, nor could the humidity be much lower. Nice and breezy. Now, if I had just been laying on a beach with an umbrella drink in my hand, everything would be fantastic. But as it is, it is Monday and I am hard at work. I hope everyone is having lovely weather and is able to get outside and enjoy it; whatever that means to you. It can be throwing a Frisbee for your dog or gardening.

This presidential election cycle is bringing out the nastiness in everyone. I have never seen our country this divided. It is funny that after each debate, everyone thinks their candidate won. Even for the other races, the political ads seem especially nasty this time around. I can't be the only one that sees this.

Luckily, the eye of Matthew stayed just off the coast of Florida, otherwise, there would be a very different story to tell. Let me tell you, a lot of preparation goes into being able to "ride out" one of these storms. There is such a variable associated with them. You never know if you will have no power, no water, etc. Also, you must make sure that you have enough comfort food. We were fortunate to have not lost power or to need to boil our water. The wind blew and it was heavy rain, but that is it. The problem is that now, less people will heed the warnings in the future since there wasn't as much damage as originally anticipated. I think that is just foolish!

We currently live in a three bedroom, 1500 sq. ft. townhome. The current goal is to get into a much smaller space. So, what do you do with all that stuff? I have always believed that if I haven't touched/needed something for a period of time, then I can part with it. My husband is much more sentimental than me when it comes to personal items. So, we are working through those issues. We have been making progress, but it is slow. I would like to start fresh in a new place, it is so freeing. Then, to take our belongings down to almost nothing will be even better.

We live in Central Florida, which is very close to the path that hurricane Matthew has chosen to take. I don't usually get to worried about the storms that come our way, but this one has me a little worried. I have lived in Florida all of my life, and never really worry too much. Funny that the storm is named Matthew, which happens to be my son's name...

Ok, this is where other's opinions are a good thing. Many people have travelled/lived in an RV, but how many have lived or stayed for an extended period of time in a tiny home? We are scheduled to stay in one over the Thanksgiving weekend and I cannot wait. Tiny homes are much more durable than an RV. Obviously, they are not as mobile. Henry and I, so far, are more interested in this option.

I have the privilege of working in an office environment. Well, I say privilege only because I am not cut out to work outdoors. But, it seems like we are only working for the weekend. Why do we spend all week wishing it was the weekend? We don't do anything special on the weekends except rest up for the next grueling week. I just wish we could all figure out what we would enjoy doing and be able to make a living doing that instead of having to do what is unsatisfying. Additionally, I work at a desk all day. I have just recently realized how detrimental that is to our bodies. Now that I am getting close to 50 (shhhhhh! Don't tell anyone!), I have more aches and pains than ever. I know, I know, lose weight and exercise. Take the stairs, drink more water, yada yada.

It seems like every other weekend there is an RV show in my area. I just can't see "living" in one full time. I realize that they must make them light enough to tow, but the quality is pitiful, in my opinion. I also realize that they are meant to be used as recreational vehicles. But, what if my recreation is living?

So, we have been trying to decide if we want to stay in the area that we are in, so we can continue to work or if we would like to leave the area. If we did, we would need to buy an RV so we had a place to sleep while we travel. We have kicked around the idea of a tiny home and have already stated downsizing our belongings. It is freeing! We certainly do not need all of the things that we have accumulated.

I considered writing my thoughts down in a notebook, but that would require me to carry a notebook and pen around with me. That is not typical for me; and I always have my phone with me. So, a blog it is! Henry and I are coming to a crossroad in our life. He is just about fed up with his job and ready to call it quits. We knew this was coming since they are outsourcing a large number of technical support jobs to India. So, we have been saving money for the inevitable job loss. With him being almost 49, it would be difficult to "start over". Not to mention the fact that he really doesn't want to. Then there is my situation - I am 47 years old and have been at my current job for 21 years. There is a great reason to try to stick it out to 30 years (so I can then work 5 more years in the D.R.O.P. program). But, 14 years is a long time... Herein lies our issue.