Joy & Injuries in MN

I was definitely expecting ups and downs on this adventure, but MN was really a time for me to get my “poop in a group” to get ready to really start traveling. I had a list of things that I needed to figure out.

• Estella’s rear end (garage area) was a hot mess. I had basically artfully stacked everything in, but it was so hard to find anything easily.
• That darn drawer.
• Does Estella need new tires?
• Is there anything that I don’t know about Estella that I should know?
• What else does Arthur need to feel comfy in Estella?
• What else do I need that I didn’t know before our first test trip?

Estella Stuff

Did I mention that my Dad is handy? 😉 He fixed all things, including Estella’s garage and the drawer.

The most amazing part of this shelving system in Estella’s garage is that it is not screwed into any of the walls. Dad was able to design and build it so that it snuggly fits without being screwed in. Best Christmas present ever.

Dad and I also spent some time talking about diesel fuel, fuel additives, and my tires. We agreed that Estella could use some new tires and an alignment. So, I was able to get an appointment with a local tire shop – Graham Tire – and they were fantastic. All six tires replaced and ready for the road. 🚐

My parents’ farm is an hour and a half from the Winnebago factory in Forest Lake, Iowa, and a Winnebago-specific service shop (Lichtsinn RV), so early one morning, I off-loaded Arthur into my parent’s house and headed to Iowa to get some expert advice. They did a multi-point inspection, fixed some recall items, worked through some items with the RV heater, and I had a great conversation with the service tech who spent all day working on Estella. He answered all my questions and more.

That’s Estella taken care of.

Things for Arthur

By all accounts, Arthur’s pretty low maintenance. He likes to sleep, eat, chase the red dot, and get pets, but I did want to make it more comfy for him to be on this trip. I did get him a compact water dispenser that has a cute little flower and constantly flowing water, some toys, and a great perch with a hidey hole on the bottom. The best purchase is the perch. It’s Arthur’s happy place, and I have found a great spot for it in Estella where he can ride in it when we drive and look out the windows when we’re stationary.

Other Stuff

I am grateful for the delivery people who made more than a couple of trips to the farm with the different orders I placed. One of the things I realized I needed were a better bed solution. Luckily, I’m short, and I was able to use a combination of storage ottomans and a 3″ memory form pad cut down to fit the sofa and ottomans to be a very comfy bed. I also really appreciate the Coleman sleeping bag that I got for a steal from Woot.com. I’m not sure where these zip plows were when I was trying to zip up sleeping bags before, but they are amazing.

I also bought some insulated curtains to provide a little more insulation with a tension rod that I can move in front of the sliding door or the cab, depending on where the wind might be seeping in. For additional heat back-up, I also found a better space heater with some great safety features; it won’t overheat, and if it tips, it shuts off.

Keeping things clean is super important in such a small footprint, so I found a very compact, powerful vacuum that has worked great for our weekly cleaning. Arthur hates it, but what cat likes a vacuum cleaner?

I also work full-time from Estella, so I devised a way to use the existing table and still have a big monitor to do my work. Since I was in the pole barn and in Estella working, I also needed a solution to improve the wireless signal for both my hotspot and my phone. I hemmed and hawed and eventually decided to get a signal booster that just repeats the existing signal and improves the strength. It was a great solution.

The Mishaps that Lead to Injuries

A reminder of the Mishap Scale >>> (🍫 = minor; 🍫🍫 = ordinary; 🍫🍫🍫 = embarrassing; 🍫🍫🍫🍫 = terrible; 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫 = not enough chocolate in the RV to recover)

• I think I picked up the habit of leaving cabinet doors open from my Mom, but this bad habit definitely bit me in the forehead when I was in MN. I was futzing in the bathroom and walked right into an open cabinet door. 🍫🍫🍫

• When I was in MN, I also put some things in storage. During one of those trips, I guess I banged my hand against something and ended up with a pretty banged up pinky finger. 🍫🍫

Despite the mishaps when I was in MN, it was good to be home for Thanksgiving and a pre-Christmas with the family. I also was able to visit with a few friends and get organized.

I should say that I’m only posting about past experiences for safety reasons. I recognize that my journey – while fun – could really easily turn unsafe if I share too much about my current location if the wrong person saw my posts. It is the internet after all.

I did leave MN for warmer locations in mid-December, so I’ll share more about those travels once I’ve moved on from here. Until then, I’ll share pictures and stories without locations whenever something interesting happens.

Until next time, here’s a beautiful picture of MN doing its thing and a reminder of why I headed south for the winter.