Today is our first day

We did it. We finally took the plunge and purchased a motorhome. We've been kicking this around for several years and have looked at the countless options. We talked about how we'd live over the next five to ten years after retirement, and while I'm still planning on working a few more years, we figure that we'll start practicing :). We'll still be tent camping from time-to-time, but we'll be enjoying this more often.

Mackie and I did a lot of traveling when since met almost 30 years ago. First, it was going to her art shows where she was displaying her pottery. Then we started traveling for traveling overseas. And, we've been tent camping for the past several years with family and friends. We've watched a number of Youtube videos listening to people's storys living out of the country or traveling in the country. The traveling in the country has had more appeal to us. Our love for spending time together, visiting our family, spending time outdoors, and meeting new friends.

We'll see you on the road!

Mackie and Joe

#mackiejoesgreatadventures

Laundry

I went to a laundromat today. It's been somewhere close to 50 years since I've done that. It's funny how time slips by and memories creep on me.


 
The Riverside Laundromat in Ovid, Michigan


My laundry experience began in Mr Dryer's laundromat in Richwood, West Virginia when I was in the fourth grade. I'm not sure how it got started, but my thought today is that I was the oldest of four children by at least four years. That would have made me nine years old then.

The laundromat was across the river not quite a 1/4 a mile from our house my Mother had on Boggs Avenue just south of the river and east of the Holy Family Catholic Church.

The building was next the the A&P Grocer Store. It had a glass front and about 20 feet wide by 40 feet deep. It was bright white. Washers were in a back-to-back row down the center of the building, and dryers were on the north wall. Every week I would go. I remember ladies always asking me questions about why I was doing the laundry and where was my Mother. I hated those questions. I used to make up answers in hopes I believe they would leave me alone.

Mr Dryer was always there cleaning or maintaining his machines. I remember him as a kind man with a white mustache. There was detergent, candy and cigarette vending machines in the building.It was seldom I had anything extra to get something the machine. Times were very tight in those days.

Why was I in the laundromat. Well, I'm in Michigan getting the house ready for our upcoming move, and we don't have everything from out west yet. Work on the house is going slowly as I find more opportunities of things to fix. More on that later.