We have been back in the states for a month now. I figured it was time for an update.
I am doing much better than my last update; my depression is lessening, we are adapting to living in the camper, I have caught up on all the foods I missed except milk, and I cannot get enough of that yet. I have spent very little time with my friends, still not sure where I stand there - I know my old normal, but have yet to find my new normal with friends. I know their lives have gone on so I don't want to intrude, but I don't want to neglect them either. Guess I will figure that out soon as well.
Since we didn't have a house to come back to, we are still living in the camper. Our little campground is nice, but a bit expensive. It is over $400 a month - nearly as much as our house payment was. I can't get over feeling that is wasted money. We have a nice laundromat and I was telling Steve I will not know what to do when I get a normal non paying washer and dryer that I don't have to chunk money into every time I use it. We were using a laundromat for 18 months before we went to Singapore, we used a Barbie washer and dryer the 2.5 years we were in Singapore and now we are back to the laundromat again. It will be a different feeling when we have our own appliances again. As I said before, we still have a Barbie stove and fridge, so I have finally realized *this* is our new normal. Until further notice.
Walking into Wal Mart and the malls is not as difficult for me as it was when I first came back. I finally figured out I was extremely overwhelmed with the selections! I need to start walking there again though - I am going entirely too much, and my butt shows it. I really have to get a grip on the food and exercise again. I will start that tomorrow...
Our camper is great for camping, but for living in, we have had to make a few storage adjustments. We have put the bar stools in storage, put iris carts (drawer carts) in their place. We put adjustable shelves in the storage closets in the back and I have stored the Christmas gifts in storage boxes stacked by the sofa and wrapped a bit at a time in the Barbie sized living room. I hope you girls are laughing - and I deserve it!
Another thing we have realized is how little insulation the camper has! YIKES! The wind blows over and under and there is always a chill in it if it is cold outside and warm if it is hot outside. We have had to buy a stand alone heater to help keep the chill out, and we bought a mattress warmer for the bed. That works really well once you get IN the bed, but it is made not to heat unless there is weight on it. A lot of darned good that does - I HATE getting into a FRIGID cold bed. I need a critter to climb on it to warm it up ;-)
My car is a 2000 Toyota Camry. It has always run well and still does; however it has its issues. The fan belts are slipping (LOUD squeal), the tires need rebalanced and it needed a huge cleaning. Normally that would not be a problem, but we live in a campground... no water hose or way to clean it myself, and we all know the inexpensive places we take them to don't do as good of a job. I can get it done for $250, but come on! I need the car genies in Singapore to visit, please?
Internet is still a problem. I have mine tethered to my iPhone, but I pay for data transferred after an alloted amount. I have no idea how data is figured and if my 5G of data will be used in one day or one month. I am afraid of running over, and I watch my usage by checking it, but I still don't have a feel for it. Steve, on the other hand, is having problems. He finally went and got a MiFi, but it doesn't stay connected for him and he was on the phone with Tech Support for hours today - and it still doesn't work. He transfers AutoCad files so he needs LOTS of data transferred. Gotta figure this out... things we didn't know how to figure out until we were here are still not easy and temporary solutions seem to be a problem for us.
My side... I am going to one Dr who is working with me on it. She thinks it is chronic pancreatitis, and treating me as such. I started taking something for ulcers on my own. One or the other seems to be helping a bit - my pain is at least coming and going now. We shall see. If I could remember to take my pills for the pancreatitis with every meal I might have my answer. I remember for about 2/3rds of the meals and say "Oh damn" 2 hours after the others. There has to be something to remind me of it, but I have yet to figure it out. Guess I am too anxious for that bite of the foods I have missed... lol... And I am sooo tired all the time.
Finally, I know you are wondering... we have not yet heard where he will be. Since he is working on the job in Pascagoula we are not in a rush - and obviously the company is not either. The check keeps coming in and I keep telling myself in due time we will find out. , but until then we will just keep on campin' - living the adventure. So that is where we are there...
And that is my update. What keeps me going are the notes from my friends in Singapore and encouragement from those here. I may not answer (you can thank my internet - or lack thereof for that) but I try to read everything (even in pieces when I have a moment of internet), and every morsel of information I can get - from here and I seem to crave it from Singapore. Funny, I think it was that way when I was there - craving information from here.
The world keeps on twirling no matter where we are doesn't it? I don't feel like the grass is greener on the other side; I think it is just as green here as there - just a different kind of grass and a different shade of green, you know?
And finally, pR came in the other day and had a couple of duck friends for Number 4!! She wanted him to have company - isn't that sweet?? So I leave you with only one picture today - ya know, I have to pay for that data. But, I think you can agree that Number 4 seems quite content now.
My pets make me smile. Life is good.
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