Feelin' pretty good about everything.

I finally found the right insurance. Thank Goodness. I've been arguing with my insurance agency to get me the right coverage and after three years of paying for an "Artisan" policy, the best thing they could come up with was a "Commercial" policy. So I started searching around myself online. I found that "Artisan" means going to multiple jobsites every day. Not true. The commercial policy they recommended has questionnaires that ask: Is this a start-up business? How long have you been in business? There were so many requirements and restrictions that it seemed like there were too many reasons not to get it, plus a high deductible. I just knew there had to be a policy written for us RV'ers that stay out on the road. I found a "Full-Timer's RV policy" through GMAC. It covers my truck, my RV, contents, traveling, RV parts, towing, rental vehicles, they won't leave my trailer on the side of the road if I need towed, etc. A policy that is tailor-made for the full-time RV'er. Like a home-owner's policy: it covers the park-lot that I camp in, contents of a shed, liability if someone falls out my door; nearly every contingency. It's expensive: I knew it would be and I wasn't worried about that. I just wanted the right policy. Also, they will correspond with me by email instead of unreasonably requiring me to receive postal mail. They understand! They "Get It". OMG! Finally! Weirdly enough: it even covers my canopy - which I just replaced last year for $1,100. AND: diminishing deductible, 25% off my deductible every year without a claim. By now I'd have no deductible if I'd found this coverage in the beginning. I spoke with a licensed insurance expert to find all this out. I'm so pleased. Now, I just have to cancel my current insurance. I've already paid for 6 months of the new insurance, starting Feb 1. My current insurance doesn't run out until April. Now, back to studying. The exam is in: 10 Days! OMG! Have a wonderful weekend. Oh, by the way - it's supposed to hit 60 degrees here today. I'm opening the cabin up for some long overdue fresh air. Put on a sweater and get to studying! MsAmber

Countdown to exam.

Aaagh! Only 15 days till my exam! OMG, OMG, OMG! I went to a salon yesterday and got my hair trimmed and an acid-peel facial. When I got home, I laid down to take a quick nap. The cat got up on my bed and started cleaning herself right next to my head. I got frustrated and picked her up to move her, when her claws struck out and she sliced me across the nose. Now I have raw skin and a razor slice across my nose that's bleeding. I'm not sure what I can put on it to keep it from scarring. It's a diagonal slice that goes right through the scar I already have. Today, I must study. I need to do laundry also, but the good news is we are on 8-hour days this week. So I actually can do laundry after work on Monday if I want. I'm going to take a refreshing shower, make a pot of coffee, and get to crackin' on those books. I'm excited and nervous. Have I studied enough? Do I learn as well as I used to? I'm getting to the point where I don't trust my brain anymore. Used to be, I could read something, then take a test and get 100%. Now, that's not the case. I am reading the material, then taking a fake-test, and only getting about 70% of it. Not to mention all the errors in the material to begin with... I know the fill ratios of cable in conduit. The book says something entirely different. If I have to answer by what the book says - I'm in trouble. It says you can put up to 155 cables in a 4 inch sleeve at a 60% fill ratio. I KNOW for a fact that you can only put 96 cables in a 4 inch sleeve and that it's about 80% fill ratio. I don't let my crews make any bundles larger than 96 cables anyway. The weight of the bundle would crush the bottom cables if you went any larger than that. I also know that you can put 12 cables in a 1" sleeve MAXIMUM, 9 is preferred. Then there's the pull-box section. It specifies a 4"X8" pull-box on 1" conduit runs. We usually use 4x4 boxes, sometimes 6X6. I never get pull-boxes that aren't square. For a 4" conduit, it specifies 12"X60" pull-box. Really? A 5-foot-long pull box? A 24X24 box works JUST FINE. If you have more than 96 cables, you need more 4" sleeves or some lay-in basket tray. When I'm designing a closet, I just take the amount of cables and divide by 96, round up for future expansion. I also add-in the backbone and the fiber innerduct, and voila'- I never miss. It's the parts of the books that I disagree with that I remember the best. So maybe I should just disagree with the whole thing! And don't you find it annoying that I have to memorize what YEARS certain entities were incorporated? Bicsi was incorporated in 1977. Prior to 1967 the organization that set the standards in telecommunications was BICS. The EIA/TIA was founded in... Goodness! I'd better memorize who the book was dedicated to: Just In Case it's a bonus question. Peace, Love, and Prosperity. MsAmber

It's 2013.

2013, 2013, 2013, 2013, 2013, 2013, 2013. If I can get used to typing it, I won't mess up on my paperwork and type 2012. I've made myself a pot of Gevalia Coffee, after a few more cups I'll be ready to hit the books. It snowed again yesterday - silently. I can't believe the weekend is over already. All I did was study and drink coffee, and I took myself to dinner at Frisch's Big Boy yesterday evening. I like going there, but they won't let you study - the waitresses are a bit too attentive. Which normally I like, but how many times can you say "I'm fine" in half an hour? Oh, I also re-watched "Cold Mountain". The girls used to say I reminded them of Ruby Thewes in that movie. I get a kick out of the resemblance sometimes... "Alright then". Okay, now for the resolutions: This year I will quit smoking. This year I will see what 6-pack abs look like on me. This year I will earn my RCDD and my PMP. This year I will spend less on "stuff" and pay off my RV. I think four resolutions are enough. It's all do-able. My blog will remove all the line breaks and publish this as one, long, run-on paragraph. I do apologize for that. Just so's you know: I did type it with paragraph breaks and indents and line-items. Have a great New Year! MsAmber

Studying...

I've been reading so much that everything else I see is blurry. Though it is kind of nice and interesting to not be able to see, it's a little disconcerting. I have a romantic view of everything - nothing is in focus. Makes me think of that song "All Day Through The Rain" by Bora Yoon. She says: "Sometimes I like to leave my glasses at home and roam in a warm blur all day through the rain". I didn't stock up well enough to hermit in this weekend. I have to get out and buy more bread and smokes. I dread it: there's snow everywhere and I have to scrape my windshield. Maybe I'll just walk... I've found a lot of mistakes in the TDMM (the study book). They refer to a type of fiber connectors (LC) as Load Coil type connectors, when actually they are Latch Connectors. So will I fail if I correct them on the exam? It's too funny to me. I have my own words to help me remember the connector types: ST= Stab and Twist; SC= Square Click; and LC= Little Click. Works for me. They definitely love their acronyms. We could speak a whole other language based on acronyms. Frankly, I think acronyms are lazy. Like text messaging - I refuse to abbreviate in a text message. Like the ENTs say: "Anything worth saying is worth taking a long time to say it". Okay - I had to throw a Hobbit reference in there somewhere. You'd expect nothing less from me... Have a great New Year. Peace, Love, and Understanding. MsAmber

Looking for a project.

I've noticed lately that my thoughts regress too often to the negative. I'm not able to hang on to the "sunny side". I can blame it on the time of the year, the time of the month, or even on the amount of obstacles that keep diving into my path. But it seems that I'm missing something... something of vital importance. A Goal. I know that I tend to look backwards when I don't have something to look forward to... I did schedule my RCDD exam for the 22nd of January. That's a small goal. I can divert my spare energy into studying and preparing for that. I don't think it's enough though... I need a brain-diversion. Something so exciting that it occupies my dreams and waking daydreams. A Great Big Project. I'm thinking of buying a House. A project-house. A fixer-upper. Something that I can focus my energy and my budget into, with a future promise of returns or even a future place to call home. The only problem is: Where? I could live anywhere actually - I just haven't decided yet. As much as I know about the whole United States, I could pick someplace Geographically sensible. South-Eastern Oklahoma is very appealing, and it's midway between two major cities, but it's not very fertile. I could pick an old-country, mountainous setting - Kentucky, Virginia, or Tennessee. I kinda like the idea of a good sized wooded lot, maybe 15 miles away from a town, or an old house with 3+ acres or so on the outskirts of a town. Enough land to enjoy but not so much that it becomes burdensome. I know I couldn't be within a town, because I'm not all that capable of keeping the front lawn mowed and other "zoning" issues that may come up when I'm out working for months at a time. I'm fond of places in Arkansas; Missouri; Oklahoma; Louisiana; Tennessee; Kentucky; South Carolina; Ohio; Virginia; and Alabama. Well, THAT narrows it down...LOL. The place must have Water. A well or a pond. I don't want to be on anyone's city water, or at least have an option not to be. That's definitely a particular concern of mine. Water is important. I don't want to be isolated or hidden in the back-40. I'm not looking for a hermit-lodge, but at one time I thought I would like that. The house need not be Huge, but it needs to be interesting. Strange floor plan, or unusual architecture, something interesting and challenging. I abhor square houses and sheetrock. Yeah, I know... Bonus points for: porches, courtyards, windows, open floor plans, round rooms, root-cellars, usable attics, 8-foot ceilings, trees, oil-fired heat, detached garage, and flat yard space.

Facebook: A tutorial

Facebook: A tutorial. 1. When you join facebook, you basically have two screens. One is your “Wall”, where people can share information directly with you by “Writing/posting on your Wall”, or by selecting something on their own facebook, clicking share, and selecting or typing in your name. 2. The “Wall” is what visitors to your facebook page see, along with a few menu items like: Friends, Photos, Maps, or “Likes”. The visitor can click on the menu items and check out your photos, or places you’ve pinpointed to have been, or anything you have “Liked”. They CAN ALSO browse through the people you have “Friended”. 3. If they browse through your friends, and let’s say: They see “George” on there and they want to see what “George” is up to on Facebook, based on HIS privacy settings: (Friends Only or Public). They can click and Facebook will either show a minimal screen with his name and description and a button that says Content restricted to Friends Only, Do you know “George”, if so click here to send him a friend request. Or if his privacy settings are Public, then they will be able to see “George” and the activity on his “Wall”. They could then click through George’s friends (and his friends’ friends) and keep going ad-finitem. It’s generally considered in bad taste to just cruise through friends’ friend lists. (You are friends with George who is friends with Amy who is related to Josh who broke up with my sister…) There is truly only 6-degrees of separation between any two people on this entire earth, social networking has made that painfully clear. 4. The other screen that YOU have access to is called “Home”. “Home” is like an RSS feed where you can see all the activity on all the facebooks of all your friends in one place. Your friends do not see your “Home”, so it’s not like a billboard service. When you respond to something “George” posted on HIS wall from your “Home” page, it will show up on George’s “Wall”. 5. In essence: The only way I could be an embarrassment to you on Facebook would be A: Post something offensive on your “Wall”. B: Share something offensive with you specifically. C: One of your friends snooping through your friends list and clicked on me and was shocked at my “Wall”. (Probably shouldn’t happen, but yes, it could. My privacy settings are set to Public.) There is also this option to “hide” status updates from people who are annoying: Just copy and paste into your browser – it’s safe. http://www.askdavetaylor.com/how_to_screen_filter_out_facebook_status_updates.html I don’t get the status updates from all my friends, because frankly, some of them are so active that it bores me to death to get through their “Farmville” requests and irrelevant chatter. So I just GO to their facebook page every once in a while to catch up on what’s going on, then I’m satisfied that everyone is safe, reasonably happy, and it’s “snafu”. Realizing that you probably don’t share my sense of humor or have anything in common with the life that I live, I understand that you perceive my updates out of context. Kind of like when Grandma was concerned that I was joining a cult when I announced the “End of the World, Zombie apocalypse” for the last day of my project. And, yes, in polite company, I may even be inappropriate – so I understand completely why you “Unfriended” me. However, in my defense, I work in construction, with men, I wear boots and get dirty and enjoy a beer now and again, so I don’t really hang with the “Sesame Street” crowd and probably never will. I cuss a little, but not too much. I think I’m a normal, red-blooded, blue-collar, underpaid, hard-working, good-hearted woman. Anybody who doesn’t get that or doesn’t like it can kiss my Gluteus Maximus.

Elevated frustration level Orange

What I want to say: "I am going above and beyond the call of duty in working for you. I have been working without the support I should have - which you signed this document stating that you would provide. You continuously ask for more, then act like you have every right to expect it from me, turning the situation around to always make it seem like I haven't been doing my job correctly. I am making compromises that get me in trouble with my own bosses because you don't know the restrictions that THEY place on me. You want what you want no matter how unreasonable, and no-body in your organization will stand up for me against you, so I'm stuck between seeming uncooperative with you or displeasing my bosses. What you need to understand is this: I don't mind taking responsibility, I don't mind going above and beyond, I don't mind working WITH you to really make this project a success, and I have no problem taking a certain amount of heat from my bosses for giving a bit more than is required. In fact, all my projects have been very successful. I just want you to consider that I have many more responsibilities that you don't see: I have decisions to make that require not only knowledge of my trade, but knowledge of contractual obligations and restrictions. I am responsible for the overall project and the daily needs of 11 people. I am 100% dedicated to the successful completion of this project. However: If you believe that I am not qualified to manage this project, then I urge you to report this to my superiors and allow them to move me to another and replace me on this one. But I assure you that anyone else would not do as much or be as accommodating as I have been, or provide you this quality of work." Instead, I say: "Yes Sir, I'll see what I can do."

Amnesia pill

I'm not insecure. Never really have been. I mean, I have my moments of doubt - wondering if I'm too far gone for a real relationship, but it's only temporary. I know that I'm kind, independent, fair-looking, competent, generous, adventurous, funny, bold, intelligent, loyal, etc. What the real problem seems to be is that I don't feel love. I don't trust - anyone. Even those who DO love me, can't get me to see it. I am subject to temporary infatuations. They usually last about 18 months, then it's over. I'm sure that it has much to do with my childhood and being betrayed by those who were supposed to love and nurture me, broke my ability to trust. How do you get that back? And don't tell me to go see a shrink, a shrink would just make me re-hash all the memories I've tried so hard to put behind me. I'm not looking to dust off all the bad things in my life and re-live them. I'm looking for an amnesia pill. Make me forget so that I can see the rainbows and flowers again. It's the last thing I need to do for myself. Learn to trust. How do you learn to trust?

Harrisburg PA

An uninteresting blog post. I'm going to wash the truck today and vacuum it out. I went to Moose's LZ last night and had a prime rib with baked sweet potato and a Guinness Draft beer. Man, was it good! This morning I bought and drank an energy drink, so I've cleaned the house and swept the porch. It's only 10:00 a.m. and it's already starting to get hot outside. Well, that's my day. Have a great day yourself. MsAmber

Pet Peeve: Drive Thru Timers!

I would like to address all the corporate fast-food restaurant chains who have bought into the concept of drive-thru timers. Drive-thru timers are unfair to the employees of the restaurant who live in fear of the repercussions of having an average drive-thru time of 2:11 (two minutes and eleven seconds). The Timer reports an end-of-shift average to the local manager and sends a network message to the corporate office to tattle on the average for each shift. Drive-thru timers are unfair to the customers. Almost every experience I have with a drive-thru goes like this: At the speaker: "I'll be with you in a minute". At the speaker: "Can I take your order?" At the speaker: "That will be $9.00 at the second window" At the window: "$9.00 please." Then they thrust out my drink and my change at the same time, then my bagged food, before I've thrown the change in the console and put the bills in my wallet. I can't put the straw in the cup without being rushed to get moving. I can't even turn away from the window to set my drink in the cupholder before my bagged food is being shoved out at me. This happens every single time - I've tried making myself more efficient to handle the fastball pitch: I've cleared out my cupholder ahead of time. I've got my wallet open in my lap to make paying and putting away my bills more convenient. I've even considered putting a change-cup in the door holder so I don't have to waste all that precious time turning towards the console to pitch in my loose coins. There's just no pleasing these people - they want you to simply slow down to 15MPH, pay in exact change and have the back window open so they can throw your food in. Now, in order to shorten their average time for the shift, sometimes the manager will circle through the drive-thru and order just a drink, and then circle around again and order another drink, so a couple of :20 (twenty second) drive-thru times will average out their shift time to just under 2:11. So, they are cheating the system anyway. The purpose of having me wait at the speaker is so they don't get backed up, that makes sense. But it still proves that the system is beatable, and just having the system in place is robbing the customer of a pleasant experience. Also, because of the timer, the staff is focused more on the drive-thru speed than the dine-in speed, so my choice is to either get my food fast and rudely, or slower and complacently. I SAY BAN THE DRIVE THRU TIMER! OUTLAW IT! P.S. How long does it take to cook a chicken breast? Certainly longer than 2:11... wouldn't you wonder at a chicken sandwich that was cooked, made into a sandwich, wrapped, bagged, and served to you in under 2:11? That's my rant for today.

I went to Sears

So I went to Sears to buy a new battery pack for my Craftsman 19.2V cordless drill. Mind you, I just got off work, so I'm in jeans, steel-toed boots, and a tool pouch on my hip. A single battery was $40, or two for $66.30. So I bought two. Then I saw that they have the little cordless 5 1/2" circular saw that matches my set so I picked up one of those and a new blade for it. I get to the register and the cashier looks at me and says: "Does he have a charger?" I really was laughing - on the inside - so I repeated back to him "Does HE have a charger?" I think I might have shaken him up a little bit... 'nuf said.

Had to share...

What happened???

I've written this blog post twice. It didn't publish the first time. I went online and downloaded a code scanner for my smartphone, then I went to www.e-nigma.com to read more about the QR barcodes and they had a utility to create your own QR code. I made one that points here. I see all kinds of possibilities for this technology... If anyone has any experiences (good or bad) with scanning these codes that are found almost everywhere nowadays, please let me know. Anyway... I'm still here in Pennsylvania. The weather finally broke and it's a beautiful sunny day outside. So I shaved my legs and put on a dress. I'm just going to hang out and enjoy the lovely day. Maybe I'll paint. Have a great weekend. MsAmber

In Harrisburg Pennsylvania

What an interesting place. I need to show you what I've been driving lately: A big Skytrak forklift. It's baaaad! For 2 1/2 weeks I've been unloading trucks. I've gotten pretty good at that forklift.

I've driven around to get the hang of this place. It's a little confusing, but I'm close to Hershey, PA; the chocolate factory and amusement park. I have some very distant memories of the place. I always remembered being a little kid and being at Hershey Park. I remember getting a plastic candy bar that I filled with water from a water fountain and squirted out. I was fascinated by the little squirty fake candy bar. I know I have been to Hershey Park and my sister was there with me because we had to hold hands. I just have no idea when it was. I just have a distinct memory of the waterfountain, the sunny day, the pea-rock embedded walkway, and the plastic Hershey candy bar. I'm going to try to dream and remember more details about it tonight. Maybe I can pull some more details from the memory.
Maybe I'll call my sister and ask her about it tomorrow and see if the memory jives, she has a phenomenal memory and she was old enough probably to put in into context.

Anyway...
I'm starting a new project here and I should be in this area through the Summer. I'm looking forward to it. There are several caves I want to explore. Indian Echo cavern for one.
I'm going to see about getting family to visit me here, we'll do the touristy thing and have a good time, but when I'm by myself: I'm going to take the cavern tours. That's my favorite thing in the entire world. I imagine myself as an old-time explorer and that I'm the first person ever to see the dark deep crevices that are older than anything you can imagine.

Well, I'm watching a movie. I better pay attention to it - there's a fight scene and I'm missing it.

Peace Out.
MsAmber

Countdown!

This project is nearly done. I'm ready to get the caravan rolling again. I've packed up and re-arranged the RV. I've packed my tools back in the truck. Only thing left is my TV, clothes, and dishes; and I'm ready to hitch up and go to my next project. Heard a rumour that it might be New York? I don't care where, just gotta go. This place is boring! Cows and dairy and Amish. Yep, that's about it.
Cheese curds all around!
It's 30 miles to the nearest Home Depot!

I've been having some female-troubles since October. I'm apparently on an 18-day cycle now. It's just too much! I have a consultation to discuss the new radio frequency procedure (ablation?), which may cut back on the problems I've been having. It's either that or a hysterectomy. I had my physical and a full panel of bloodwork, and I'm otherwise healthy. It's just perimenopause is kicking my ass and it's hard to work like a man when you have the inconveniences of being a woman - especially at this "unique" time of my life (eg: perimenopause!). I'm done ovulating so I don't get the dose of progesterone. Makes me a little crabby and impatient - I'm living on coffee and nicotine and breakfast cereal. Whew!

Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting the heck out of here and back to civilization.
Wish me luck!

MsAmber

The Project is STARTING! Yayyyy.

All new project. All new challenges.
I've started receiving materials. I've set up my office and I'm nearly done with the numbering of the prints and the spreadsheets.

All my tools are unloaded from the truck, sorted, and stacked in my office. The campershell is off my truck. Boy, does the truck look weird without the campershell.

I held a training class for two of the guys on my crew for the Forklift. One of the guys is as enthusiastic as I used to be. He's having fun running the forklift. I love to see someone embrace something new like that. I was always that person - thrilled to learn what others consider mundane.

I left all my work AT WORK, so this weekend is all freed up to relax. I might clean out the spare bedroom, maybe clean out the truck. Otherwise, I'll be painting and drinking coffee. I bought a pot roast and some carrots. That will satisfy my urge to smell something cooking. I also bought some pie-crust mix and a jar of apple pie filling. Maybe I'll bake an Apple Pie! Since I don't have to worry about the recipe, just assembly, I'll make the lattice-work top for it and sprinkle it with sugar and cinnamon. I haven't done that in years.

Mmmm. Apple Pie!

Have a great day!
MsAmber

I had a dream

I dreamed that I knocked on the old lady's door, and when she opened it I pushed my way in. I was friendly, but insistent. Then I proceeded to introduce myself and started rummaging through her kitchen cabinets and refrigerator. She was bothered by it and was trying to protest, but I wasn't stopping. I told her I wanted to make sure she had plenty. In my dream, I was a little out-of-character with my pushiness, but it seemed real enough and do-able.

So now, I have this compulsion to see my next door neighbor. The little trailer she lives in is painted all white, and the windows are whited-out. There are pictures of Jesus and Madonna/Mary all over the place. One of each in every window. My landlord told me that she is in her 80s and insists on pictures of Jesus everywhere - including the lawnmower that they use to mow her grass.

Problem is: I've not seen hide-nor-hair of this lady. She doesn't appear to own a car. I've watched for evidence of lights, or cooking, or mail-checking. Nothing. I would even expect to see her peering through cracks in the window just to see all the activity of me moving in next-door. Nothing. So I bought a can of cookies and went over yesterday and knocked. Nothing. I detected no movement.

Now what do I do? I tried calling the landlord and asking him, but he is curiously not answering his phone. Is the old lady home? Has anyone seen her? Should I ask the Priest at the Catholic church around the corner? Call the fire department?
And why do I even have this compulsion, was it the dream?

I'm imagining an "Eleanor Rigby" right next door. If she is there, and is such a shut-in, I really think I should follow through with the instructions in my dream.

Or maybe my imagination is running away with me again. LOL. Won't be the first time.

Have a great week.
MsAmber

New Lisbon Wisconsin

I'm here!
I found a mobile home for rent with a vacant space next-door for storing the RV. I've rented the mobile home and made all my utility deposits, moved all my furniture into the mobile home. I didn't know I had all this stuff in one tiny little RV. I only needed to buy an entertainment cabinet, bedframe, and nightstands.
Next I need to winterize the RV and clean it up real good, then close it up for the winter. I'm ready for work.
I cooked a good meal tonight and now I'm ready to kick back and watch a movie: The Curse of King Tut's Tomb. Sounds cheesy, right?
Yeah, I'm in the mood for a cheesy movie... lol.

Have a great week.
MsAmber

I get to leave here soon!!!

That's the good news.
The bad news is: I get to jump straight out of the frying pan and into the fire.
I'm starting another project (just like this one) in Volk Field Wisconsin.
(Yeah, same latitude - can I get off the 45? Please?)

Actually, I'm pretty excited. I'm always psyched up for a new project. I'm not really distressed by the prospect of snow and cold and such, as I am wont to complain about. It just amuses me, really.

I've worked very hard here, and I'm ready to hand the baton to another and move on to the next job.
I've been searching for apartments - furnished, unfurnished, room-shares, etc; in Wisconsin, and I have to say the prospects aren't very good. I'm going to park the RV in a safe, southerly place, and move myself and my portable goods into an apartment up there for 6 months.

Hey, wish me luck.
See Ya!
MsAmber

Been in Alpena Michigan for 2 1/2 months.

The project is going well. We have completed 18 buildings - over 600 drops so far, which puts us at the 1/3 milestone.

I've been in Alpena Michigan for 2 1/2 months already. Do you realize that I've been at the 45th latitude for the entire duration of Summer? Well, except for the time spent in Cincinnati with Robbie.

I get to use three days of vacation time next week to run down and visit Robbie. The contract that I am on expires on the 27th of September, so there will be a temporary work-stoppage, during which I can go make a booty call!

Okay, okay. Too Much Information. (I said booty call, tee hee hee.)

And yes, I DO know that my Grandmother reads this.

The time is coming when I'll have to hitch up the RV and take it South. I can't fathom trying to live through winter in this RV - especially all the way up here. Oh yeah, I forgot: my other project in New Lisbon Wisconsin is going to kick off in November. This means that I get to leave here and start that job right in the middle of the cold weather. It should last about 8 months - depending on if I'm running two crews or one. I do hope that I only have to run one crew. This job here has been like herding cats!

I bought a new bicycle. It's beautiful. It's a Schwinn hybrid. It looks like an old-fashioned cruiser but it has 7 gears. Red and White with a basket and a bell, and a wide seat for my old butt. (I said Butt. Tee hee hee.)

I think I will hitch up and move around the 22nd of October if the weather will hold out. I have to go to Oklahoma to take the RCDD exam then, and I can drop off the RV in either Cincinnati or Louisville for the Winter. This way: when the Wisconsin project is over I can simply jog down and retrieve it.

The truck is doing good. I should probably buy some more-aggressive tires for the Winter. Only 30k miles and they are already on thin tread. They just don't make tires like they used to...

I did laundry yesterday, and dumped the gray-water tanks, changed the sheets, and read a little bit of the TDMM (like, only 20 pages or so). So today I need to vaccuum and dust - maybe clean out the refrigerator. I'm thinking of packing my suitcase so it will be ready when I get off work on Tuesday. I might just hop in the truck and take off as soon as I get done working. I'm so excited to see my beau. It's like getting a shot of love-adrenaline. Gotta go, gotta go.

Have a great weekend.
MsAmber