sandsys

If the weather gets good enough, you might enjoy taking the Natchez Trace, Blue Ridge Parkway, and Skyline Drive heading north. We took that route south one year in the fall and had gorgeous color all the way. Linda Sand

KOAs are always safe but not always pleasant; they are geared to families so can be noisy. CoE campgrounds are along waterways so rarely good for a one night stay unless you are traveling along someplace like the Mississippi River. Passport America parks are a hit or miss situation; some good, some not so good. If you are member of Escapees, that entitles you to a discount at a bunch of parks similar to the discount of Passport America. Most rigs can stay one night without hookups even if they are not typically set up for boondocking; for those nights we often stayed at Walmart or Cracker Barrel and bought groceries or a meal. Also, check out other cards you might have; I once offered all my cards to a place and asked them to pick what would give me the best deal and they gave me a discount using my AARP card. Linda Sand

When building out a van or similar sized vehicle, it is good to look at boats. Those marine folks have solved a lot of problems. Linda

Oops. But good they do that now. I never understood why anyone would buy one without updating capabilities. That does indicate how long they last, though, as I haven't needed to buy one since 2008. Linda

If you buy a Garmin be sure to get one with the Lifetime Maps option. Keeping it up to date is critical to its usefulness. I updated ours twice a year--spring and fall. it still didn't always have new streets because it takes time for those to be added. Linda

Me, too. Our daughter picked out some land in Wisconsin she wanted us to buy with her. Nope. Too many improvements required. Linda

This!!!

Just be sure to install a BIG mailbox and visit every once in awhile. Linda

Yay! Persistance pays. Thanks for letting us know. Linda

I'm with you. I have lined, wide bifocals. The line helps hide the bags under my eyes. Linda Sand ps. I was a bookkeeper when I got my first bifocals and the wide lower part let me see a whole journal without getting seasick from having to move my head back and forth. Regular bifocals don't offer you peripheral vision.

Yes, but, I had that same doctor while traveling even while domiciled in South Dakota. I've been with her for at least 20 years. We just came back to Minnesota each summer long enough to do medical appointments. Since you are also in Minnesota, it might help to know she's part of the Park Nicollet system. Linda Sand

When we stayed in one park all summer one year, we took our motorhome out for a half hour drive once a month and used that time to run the generator as well. No sense running the generator while in the park and annoying the neighbors. Linda Sand

You use walk-in clinics to get diabetic supplies? I have used those clinics for short term conditions but not for ongoing ones that require monitoring. I'm lucky in that just having my A1c checked is all that's required for monitoring and I use Ozympic for control which only requires one injection a week and each pen lasts 4 weeks. My doctor prescribes them for a whole year and I just get a refill every month. The OP needs to find a doctor like mine. Linda

Except you told all of us. Linda

Change doctors. Find one that cares about people, not just cases. Twenty some years ago, I found one that women living in a senior's complex liked. Fortunately, the doctor was young so she's still my primary. Linda

You might check with the DMV to see about early or late renewal. Some states allow 6 months either side of due date. If you can renew before you leave, that might help. BUT! My Dave renewed his license just before we went full time but I didn't. Several years later we moved back home and I reapplied which was a quick computer test. But, Dave's license, even though expired, had been renewed too recently for him to get a new one so he had to stand in the LONG line to do a renewal. Linda Sand

Which is also why it is good to get your mail service started a few months before you go full time. It takes time for all those address changes to happen. It's OK to have everything go to your service because you can simply have them send it on to your home until you actually leave. Linda Sand

The Friday night entertainment is usually really good! But, probably not worth missing your two special events for. Linda

My only experience with this was when I sold our tent trailer to a guy. When we went to city hall to transfer the title, he wanted me to say he paid less than he did to reduce the tax he owed. That felt like my business and I couldn't do it. I once had a friend who told me I was excessively honest because I wouldn't accept a cassette of train sounds he pirated. But, I do have music on my phone for which I once owned the originals but no longer have them. Linda

The small, private bank we used when first married did not want to finance our car purchase because Dave was in the military. I persuaded them to do so but it did take having some leverage. (Reminding them that Dave started banking with them while still in high school since that's where his father banked and that we would be moving back when Dave's enlistment was up so I was sorry they no longer wanted our family's business.) We now bank with USAA. USAA started as a group of Army officers self-insuring one another because no one else would. They have always given us excellent service in both insurance and banking and we are still using them more than 50 years later. Linda ps. The small, private bank went out of business many years ago.

They can't actually do no sales tax. What they do is give you a discount using that explanation for the amount as it is easy for the buyer to understand and makes it sound like the seller can't negotiate the amount. Linda

And so I didn't try to drive off while still hooked up. I boondocked a lot so bringing in a water hose was not a regular part of my departure process. Linda

Or having someone flush a toilet while you are in the shower? I will never forget the day our daughter decided to hand wash and rinse dishes while I was in the shower and had just applied shampoo to my hair! Talk about polar plunge! Linda

You can still schedule your weekends to be for relaxation and family. It's just a case of deciding to do that. Linda

We were at a model railroad operating session when the power went out. The owner brought in railroad lanterns for light then started his generator. He said we could run the railroad OR flush toilets. You can guess which we chose. You need to size your generator according to your own needs. Linda