So little time

I have so little time here in Houston. It seems like all the time I do have is used visiting family, going to Kaju or working on Irv. (Irv is the RV's name. Pulled by Flo. Yeah, I'm a geek. Get used to it.)

Already searching for the next contract. Hopefully it will be somewhere a little calmer, a little more scenic and a whole lot less people. I might even have time to update my blog once in a while and do a whole handful of those other things I have been meaning to do, but haven't been able to.

Hope you all had a happy holiday.

Seizures

For any of you that might be tempted...

It is almost impossible to fake a seizure so well that a trained ER nurse or doctor can't tell. We have our ways. Sometimes those ways are hilarious.

So, don't try it. you won't get away with it.

Wifi

Haven't updated the blog lately. I can talk about that.

Like anything that brings great joy, wifi can also bring great frustration. At this campground it isn't any better than at Camelot. It might even be worse. The problem here is that the connection to the park wifi is usually really good. Then, the connection to the internet either stinks or doesn't work at all. This means that my precious few minutes of internet time a day are used up doing minor things like scanning and sending timesheets or arranging for ACLS and PALS classes. I can't get to the important things like updating this blog.

As it is, the website is warning me that the last autosave didn't work because the connection was interrupted. I guess it is time to take the crap shoot and see if this post ever sees the light of day. Wish me luck.

New job, new park.

I started orientation for the new job. This is one of things that goes on the 'con' list for travel nursing. I don't care who you are, a two hour video on corporate compliance is NOT fun. Hours in front of a computer filling out forms and testing over policy and procedure manuals that are all really similar. Oh well, small price.

We have landed in a new RV park as well. The park is physically set up with almost a cul-de-sac in the back. We are there with the rest of the longer term people. Some of whom are here every year and some who have been here for a year or more. It is quite a friendly and very socially active group. Much different than the park in P-Bluff. Very not used to this. One of the families is a younger couple with a 3 year old son. They seem really nice and our boys all get along well. That is definitely a plus.

The park has a private fish pond where Michael caught his first fish. He was very excited. Then the neighbor boy showed up and Michael forgot all about it. The attention span of a 4-year old.

I am still struggling with the switch to waking up at 0530-0600 every morning and commuting through traffic again. Don't miss that at all. I also scratched my eye over the weekend and appear to have developed a minor infection. Waking up with a crusty, gummy, glued shut eye every morning is no fun either. It also makes the computer testing and course work even more fun. Again...oh well.

Life is good.

New contract: Revisited.

And the winner is....

Houston Texas. Day shift 13 weeks. Just a couple of miles away from my old stompin' grounds. We will even land tomorrow in the same RV park we used when we left last time. Only for two days this time around though. Talk about coming full circle. Had to change agencies for this contract though.

Learned a thing or two this trip. Anything over 6 hours a day (driving) is too long for the 2 and 4 year old. Might be for me too. Gas mileage will be worse driving faster on flatter ground than slower in the hills.

Here is a tip for the RVer that might be reading this. Try as you might, you will have a mishap with the holding tank on your RV. Probably more than one. Wish and hope and pray that it is the gray tank...It won't be but it never hurts to wish.

New contract

Another lesson learned about travel nursing. The next contract is not certain. Apparently these things usually happen at the last minute. Well, it is nearing the last minute and nothing is done yet. This is a nervous time.

Just have to keep looking and be flexible. Something will turn up soon.

:)

Drawing near

The end that is. We are closing in on the end of my first contract as a traveler. I realized that one of the points of this blog was to provide information to nurses that were thinking about traveling and I haven't been doing much of that.

I am still trying to decide what information would be wise to present in a public, well publicly available forum. Not like a whole ton of people are reading this. I'm working on it. If you are a potential travel nurse and have a question, send me a message and I would be happy to help in any way I can.

Round Springs Cave

Another impromptu adventure day. WE decided to go to Devil's Well. This was an underground lake in a cavern whose top collapsed. The lake is 'bigger than a football field'. The picture on the map shows a canoe sitting in the water under a dome of light shining through the collapsed roof. It is a water level view. Sounds awesome, let's go. The map also states there is a spiral staircase leading down to the well. Even better.

Spiral staircase...check.

Underground lake...check.

4 foot opening with metal bars over it letting you peek in at the lake from 80 feet above...check.

Canoe...uh no.

Water level view...don't think so.

Awesome underground adventure...don't even think about it.

However, on the way to the Devil's well we passed by Round Springs.

The sign said Cave: Open.

So we stopped and it just so happened there was a Ranger led tour going into the cave in about half an hour. Turns out that it is a lantern tour. As in everybody carries their own lantern because there is no installed lighting. Cool.

Really neat experience. The cave has some improvements to make the path walkable, but not much else. No guardrails, no plexiglass, no lighting fixtures, gift shop, postcards or any of that nonsense. Just a really cool cave with cave wildlife. Small group tours. The effect of watching a trail of lanterns disappear in front of you through these underground canyons is eerie and fun. Sign me up for another Mister Ranger.

It was a cool day.

A brief interlude

Workday today and I had a realization.

The severity of the emergency being experienced by the patient is in direct opposite proportion to that individual's patience.

The people that need to be there....really NEED to be there, are OK waiting a little bit for their results or whatever else. The ones who probably should have gone to their PCP or just stayed home must have everything NOW.

Meet me in St. Louis Pt 2

Day two brought us first to Dunkin Donuts for coffee. After that we took the loop around St. Louis and got a feel for the place. Again, I was surprised by the boarded up windows and general disrepair of the place. I guess maybe Houston insulated us a little more than I thought about the general economic conditions. Either that or this city isn't doing so well. I don't know yet.

We started out by going to the Museum of Transport. It is a neat place. They have some old cars, a couple of planes and a tug boat along with a ton of different trains. Oh yeah, they also have the Rubbers Duck truck from the movie Convoy. I always loved that movie. It was another very hot day. I was amazed by the size of some of the trains there. Steam, diesel, even a wood burning train from the 1800s. We waited in one place on the promise of a tour that never came. When it just got too hot and we felt like we were risking the rest of the day, we left. Next stop was a restaurant near Dunkin Donuts called O'Charley's. What a nice little find. Everything we ate there was outstanding. IT is a small chain restaurant localized to this region. Great menu, great prices and kids eat free. All the time. If you are in the area, look it up. This one was off of Lindbergh and I-44.

After that we went down to the gateway arch complex. The idea was to go on a riverboat cruise and then to the arch. Problem was that we didn't have any cash for parking. We stopped at a casino and used the ATM before heading down. The only parking nearby was too short for the truck so I drove down by the water. No parking signs everywhere but plenty of people parked on the street. We were about to miss the boat so I dropped Sarah and the kids off and parked on the street.

The riverboat was OK, no big thrill. I did see some young Amish women glued to their cellphones and texting like mad. That was weird.

Afterward we went to the arch. I didn't know it, but there is a large museum under the ground beneath the arch. Two movie theaters and a museum of western expansion. Some exhibits interesting to Sarah and I, but pretty boring for the kids. We settled on an Imax-like movie about the Lewis and Clark expedition. Amazing trip those guys took. Then we went into the arch proper. They herd you down in stages with minor distractions to keep you from realizing you are waiting. They don't work. I understand that they have to pace progress to avoid overcrowding at the top. AT least they try.

Then you are shoehorned into a tiny little metal ham tin. Five of you. You couldn't fit a large recliner into one of these cars and somehow five people sit in there for the ride to the top. If you are claustrophobic, I don't recommend it.

The view from the arch is pretty cool. Before visiting, I never realized how tall the arch really is. It is the nation's tallest monument. Looking straight down we could see the truck. We were too high up at the time to see the tiny little parking ticket under the windshield. Oh well, looks like the city could use the revenue.

Back to O'Charley's for dinner, I told you we liked it, and then to the hotel for a swim in the nastiest pool I may have ever been in. We didn't want to get in but there was no way we were going to get the kids away from that water without a swim. Seriously though, from standing with my head out of the water I couldn't see my feet. That is how cloudy the water in this indoor pool was.

A little note about the sleeping arrangements. The two boys can not sleep together on a double bed. Well, I guess they could, it just doesn't seem like a good idea. In their sleep they roll, kick and burrow under whoever they are sleeping next to. Sarah and I can tolerate it. IT makes for a lousy night's sleep, but we can tolerate it. The kids together would never get any sleep I fear. Just keep waking each other up and crying. So Sarah and I each slept on a bed with one kid. No rest for the wicked.

This post has gone on long enough. I'll detail the last vacation day and the journey home later.

Meet me in St. Louis.

Had a few days off and decided to take a vacation. My father in law laughed that we were taking a vacation from our vacation of a life. Hey...I didn't have to work.

First day we went to Meremac caverns. It is a pretty cool cavern located about an hour West of St. Louis. It was a secret hideout of Jesse James. Nice tour guide, interesting geology and a heck of a lot cooler inside the cave than outside. Cheesy family fun.

On the way out we stopped at a little wildlife refuge that is just a mile or so down the road. Opened the door and just about left. The smell inside the gift shop was horrible. Mix a lot of mildew in with sweat and dog urine then heat to a boil. We went on anyway and took the tour. I was glad we did. They had a bobcat, some serval's, two tigers and a lion outside along with more alligators than I could count. Inside, they had a large variety of snakes, lizards and other fun creepy crawlies. Including a few notables. The largest snapping turtle I have ever seen. They say it weighs 150 pounds but I bet it tops 200. Some very friendly and communicative lemurs, the most active and interactive rattlesnakes I have ever seen. Well worth the trip.

We left there and drove on to the hotel, the only dark cloud on the trip. The Day's Inn off Lindbergh in Kirkwood was pretty miserable. I could detail it but trust me, miserable.

That night we went into town to find a place to eat. I was struck by how many buildings were boarded up or burnt out. I was also struck by how old the place appeared. I had no idea of the history and significance of St. Louis. We ended up going to the botanical garden, eating at the restaurant there and checking out their Jurassic Dark exhibit. The have a large geodesic dome greenhouse filled with lush tropical greenery. At these events they pump in some fog, light up some colored lights and show off some dinosaur sculptures they have planted at various spots inside. Pretty cool really, especially if you are a 4 year old.

Thus ended day one. Back to the hotel and sleep. I'll tackle day two later.

Fun day.

Sarah's birthday today. We went to go eat at Lambert's cafe, home of throwed rolls.

After the gifts and the ice cream cake Max and I were out in the grassy area in front of the rv. He would grab the ball and run away looking back over his shoulder and squealing. I would chase him and he would tuck the ball and just ruuuuun, squealing all the way. Tremendous fun. I thought briefly about how much fun it would be to be able to re-experience that time as a child and be aware of just how much fun and how precious these moments are. Then I realized that would spoil it. As a kid your job is just to experience the fun. I am the one who gets to realize just how precious the time is and just how much fun we were having. Being a dad is pretty darn cool.

Waxing poetic

I had a thought the other day while I was at work. Probably has very little to do with reality and is only mediocre prose but I figured I would share anyway.

I was sitting at the nurses station. A few feet across from my desk were the glass doors leading into the rooms of the psych patients that I was in charge of watching. One wandered and roamed about her room occasionally rearranging the contents of her luggage. The other lay on the bed having an animated conversation with a lifelong imaginary friend. Neither was aware of the other. Neither could see the other but I could see both. Each sat in there isolation with no idea how close they were to someone remarkably similar. Nor were they aware of the still larger community of the ER around them. Each sat wrapped in their own preparation for their solitary journey. One packed supplies and snacks. The other brought along a trusted companion. It was remarkable visual analogy of their mental state. Alone only because they couldn't conceive of what lay only a short distance away.

Ah well. Like I said, probably no relation to reality, but it struck my fancy.

Another adventure

I love this new lifestyle. It is conducive to adventure.

Today we were heading out to go to the grocery store. Planned a trip to Kroger and to drop Sarah off somewhere while I shopped for a birthday present to give her. About halfway out of the campground we changed or mind and decided to head out to Cape Girardeau. A couple of hours scenic driving later we crossed into Illinois and shortly thereafter we dipped our toes into the mighty Mississippi river. Except Max. He dipped his butt. Can't stop that kid.

We played in a pretty little park, at burgers and had some frozen custard. A good day. Spontaneous adventure is hard to beat. To think, I could have been mowing the lawn in Houston today.

Today's Adventure

Today we went out for some adventure. Last night we decided to head out and take a look at this place near Van Buren called Big Springs. It sounded cool and we didn't have any plans.

Woke up, had some coffee, packed up and headed out. About 15 minutes into the 45 minute trip we noticed some really dark clouds. Oops. Forgot to check the weather before we left. Oh well, we can always just drive out and do some research to see if the place is worth returning to.

The weather gets worse. The ripples in the dark clouds were beautiful. I told Michael that often dangerous things were beautiful and that is something he should remember when he gets older and starts dealing with high school girls. Sarah laughed, but Michael didn't get it. He was fascinated with danger though as any good 4 year old would be. The rain grew heavier and visibility dimmed.

Then I saw what looked like a climbing cloud of smoke off to the side of the road. I thought that was strange because you know...it was raining and all. As we drove a little closer we noticed the column of darkness was rotating. Wait....rotating? Yup. A FREAKING TORNADO. IT was forming about 200 yards off the road. We decided to keep on trucking right past it. It looked like it formed for a few minutes and we passed. I don't think it lasted long and we didn't see any damage when we passed back through on the return trip.

Other than that we took a wrong turn that led us down a gorgeous dirt back road where the glades opening up in the green wooded hills were shrouded in steam from the rains. We grabbed a turtle from the side of the road just long enough to show it to the boys before returning it to its journey. There was a muskrat, some wild turkeys and some deer. Big spring is really nice. Enough water rises from the spring that it appears to boil from the ground. Crystal clear you could almost read a book through five feet of running water. The spring feeds a 20 foot wide and roughly 5 foot deep stream that runs into the Current river. WE wandered and hiked before heading home to dinner made by Sarah and then ice cream made by our new neighbor who is another travel nurse at the hospital. Overall a great adventure day. I told Sarah I almost told her I wish we had done this sooner. Only I realized we left pretty much as soon as we could.

Back to work tomorrow. Life is good.

Family visits

My Mom and nephew have been here the past couple of days which has spawned a little more adventure than normal. Six people in the RV can get a little cramped so you actively seek out something that will get everybody out of the house. We went to visit the water park, the lake and Sarah took everybody out to a nearby spring while I worked. It has been a really nice visit.

Our nephew Nicholas is a great kid. Well mannered for a 9 year old boy and very friendly. It has been a pleasure to have him

We also learned that another of my co-workers from Houston will be coming in to Poplar Bluff next week. She is the nurse most responsible, I believe, for getting me traveling so that is cool. AND...we learned that Sarah's parents are coming up from Houston for her birthday. IT promises to continue to be an eventful and enjoyable month.

Spotty internet

Ahh the joys of RV parks. Our slip is almost the furthest from the wifi antenna so we often have no connection and when we do it is slow. I haven't figured out why yet, but the cable for the TV doesn't work. The park checked it out today and it works on their end.

Due to a communication error, our cell phones went dead the other day.

Life's little challenges don't go away just because you did.

New ER

Worked in the new ER for the first time today. Interesting how similar some things are. Patient care is the same, just the way you document and move patients is different. There is a basic ER nurse personality type that is here too. Variations of course color everyone differently, but underneath we are all similar.

A steep learning curve the first few days but I don't expect it will take too long to pick up the big pieces. Hopefully I can get most of the small ones before the contract is over.

Learning the new equipment presents a challenge as well. After a few contracts I should be pretty well rounded. Until then, the struggle continues.

The road to Tonkawa

As promised, our first...errr...misadventure.

First day out and we planned a short drive to Tonkawa Springs in Garrison Texas. We used a trip planning service on the internet from one of the RV groups who shall not be named. Was going to be about a three hours drive quick and easy first day. Right? Right.

Started out well enough, we loaded up and left Trader's Village drove out and hit Hwy 59. Not too far in we found a truck stop and filled the tanks and got the rig weighed. We came in at a svelte 22,280 pounds.

Sarah was driving the Civic and ranging up ahead or trailing behind as the situation dictated. We bought two way radios so we could stay in touch. Everything was working out well. The truck is great, pulls strong, the tow/haul mode works great.

Then we get to the turn off of 59 heading toward Tonkawa. Small highway, no problem. Then we get to the next turn. We look down to see a steep short descent onto a poorly paved road with trees overhanging from both sides. But, this is the directions to the park and they do say big rigs welcome. Can't be as bad as it looks, right?

We turn down and sure enough we clear everything. The road is narrow with periodic stretches of low hanging branches, but nothing has rubbed yet. We keep on going down the road and I am wondering what happens if we cross paths with an RV leaving the park because this road is far too narrow to let to RVs pass. We didn't have that problem.

Eventually we come to where the road turns to dirt. We were expecting this as the camp staff said there was a short dirt road leading to the camp. The road led on for a mile or so before coming to some chicken farms, then on another mile or so, and another...and another. Several miles later, wondering just where in the heck we were we came to the bridge. About twenty feet long and made of wood. Yes, wood. Wooden supports, wooden cross members and 2x6 boards laid out as a track to drive on. Sarah and I confer on the radio and decide that, hey, they say big rigs are welcome and this is the road...right? Did I mention 22,280 pounds?

We made it across.

Then we come to a Y in the road that isn't mentioned on the map. By this time I have about had it with the mild heart attacks and ask Sarah to go ahead and find the camp. She gets on the phone with them and tells them where we are. They guide her in and she finds the place. The camp staff say we are coming in the wrong way. That road is only for county maintenance trucks. The other way is paved. And safe.

Sarah asks them if they think we can make it and the camp lady says, "Oh man...I don't know. You aren't supposed to come in that way."

Well, we decide that anything would be better than going over that bridge again and Sarah thought we could make the last leg in safely so we went for it. When we got to the camp the entrance was angled for easy access...from the other side. You know, the way you are supposed to come in! I had to turn down another dirt road and then back the rig up about 200 yards down a narrow dirt road and past the entrance so I could drive in the normal way. I made it. Not too bad for my first day really driving this rig. We had a pleasant day swimming in the cold (65 degree) spring fed swimming hole. The campground was nice, there were deer roaming all over the place. It was quiet and I could use a good rest by this time. IT was a good first day. The next day would present another set of challenges. This RV life does have a learning curve and some days it can feel pretty steep.

Happy 4th of July

Happy Birthday America. We celebrate at the river.

Landing

Touchdown. We have made it to Poplar Bluff. After three days and 690 miles towing our home behind us I think I have learned a few lessons.

Don't trust computer trip planners. Just don't do it.

The engineering that enables us to tow our 13k + home with us for almost 700 miles is amazing...stuff still breaks. In this case it was only an overloaded clothes rod in our closet.

Get fuel early and get fuel often. Don't wait.

Onstar will find you a diesel station if you have it. Just don't pull over to the side of the road and wait for your poor wife to try to roam ahead and get a can full of fuel back to you when she has the dog and the one year old with her. Go ahead, use Onstar. That is why it is there...the station might only be a mile away.

Don't trust computer trip planners. Even the ones from RV clubs. Just don't do it.

There is a small town in northern Arkansas that has a bike path just wide enough for a dually diesel pickup towing a 40 foot fifth wheel to drive down. The local police will look astonished enough to see you doing this that they might forget to pull you over for disobeying the 'no motorized vehicles' sign.

Did I mention not trusting computer trip planning?

All in all it was a great adventure. Just remember that adventure often equals discomfort. Still fun. I will post more later...time for some sleep.

Houston we have liftoff

Just a quick note from our one night stop over in Little Rock Arkansas. Mostly a note to remind me what to write about when we have time.

The road to Tonkawa Springs.
Almost running out of diesel. The sound of frogs, deer poop.

Good things and good times on our adventure so far. Due tomorrow to pull in to Poplar Bluff. Tonight we stay in Little Rock and hopefully get a visit from Pancho.

Off to the pool.

Panic attacks.

OK, so not really as drastic as PANIC attacks, but just that moment when you are intimidated by the depth and breadth of change you are making. Realizing just how small 429 square feet is. Seeing the mountain of things that never seems to get any smaller no matter how much you sell, give or throw away. The sad eyes of a grandparent who won't be getting daily visits with the kids anymore.

All of these things make the change hard. By this point it doesn't matter how hard it is, it is happening. Too far gone now. Just have to remember the reasons you wanted this change in the first place. Stop letting your stuff own you. Start seeing the world and the people in it. Get out of the big city for a while. See some relatives who are used to annual visits instead of daily.

Take a deep breath and the feeling will pass. Get back to work. So much to do and only so much time in which to do it. We pick up our new home tomorrow. That ought to be a catch-your-breath moment. May it lead to a few take your breath away moments.

Exhausted

Spent the day busy again. Here's to hoping that Poplar Bluff contains some boredom for us. We could use it. Got a new hitch and brake controller today and continued getting set up for garage sale #3.

Sarah and I got all of our folding clothes into one chest and pared down the hanging clothes so we could share one closet. I cleaned out my desk. It is amazing the junk you hold on to when you have space. I found old school assignments and classwork from pre-nursing school days. Every anniversary card or birthday card for the past 8-9 years. Owners manuals for the printer we had before the one before the one we have now. All of it has to be sorted because you never know what you might find buried in with it all, like shot records (mine, not the kids).

Sarah is unbelievable. She is going through everything and watching the kids and cleaning and on and on and on... All I have to do is go to work. Speaking of work, five shifts left. We pick up the USS Gaden (Yup, that is the name of the trailer. USS Gaden, pulled by Flo the red truck with the big butt.) on Thursday. Then we start moving in. The countdown continues. Tomorrow though is garage sale #3, which I get to sleep through because I work tomorrow night. Sarah is going to do it with her Mom, sister and sister's friend. Poor girl, have I mentioned how wonderful my wife is?

Two weeks

Gave my two weeks today. Everyone was very supportive and seemed genuinely happy for me.

Random question for ER patrons.

If you waited in the lobby for two hours and were moved back to the room, then waited another hour in the room why leave now? You are probably ten minutes from the doctor coming in to see you. You have invested three or more hours to be seen and this is an emergency...right? Why leave now? I just don't get it.

And the countdown begins

Tick tock.

I go in tomorrow and put in my two weeks notice. Got a lot done in the past few days. We got the fifth wheel picked out and financed. Got the job interview done. We got the contract for the new job drawn up and signed. Had another garage sale. We will probably have two more. The final one will likely be followed by loading up some stuff to donate to goodwill and move the rest to that strategic spot on the curb. Yep, been busy. Good for you though, keeps the anxiety low.

Doing more research. It isn't easy to make the decisions when each piece seems so critical. This time it is the fifth wheel hitch. The one that is in the truck was broken. Thanks again to the seller for his high moral character. I'm betting he lied about not knowing what the check engine light was about too. Oh well.

And we entertained visitors this past week. My mom was in town. It was great to see her. She and my mother-in-law probably contributed to us getting the particular trailer we ended up with. It was me against the three moms and it wasn't hard to tell which one was right. I do think this one will work out better though. I researched several makes, models and floor plans exhaustively. We went to the dealer with a plan A and a plan B. Then we called an audible when the mom's noticed how much better this other trailer would work and it was only around 10% more.

It is an Open Range 429 BHS for those of you who are interested. You can take a virtual tour on the Open Range website. Check it out.

So tomorrow I get to take a break from disassembling my life and go work 12 hours in the ER. Yeah....much less stress.

tick tock.

Decisions decisions

What do we keep? What do we sell? What do we just throw away?

Which trailer do we want? What travel nursing agency do we use?

These are just a few of the major decisions we are currently grappling with. All the while there is a silent countdown to a projected departure date. There is a pretty firm deadline because some people who aren't us will be moving into our house.

S has been courageously taking on the herculean task of sorting through the majority of our belongings and making piles of need to keep, would like to keep, sell and trash. (See, what do I call her on the blog, her name? Her initials? ROTU?)

Oh well, things progress. We continue to do our research and meanwhile continue to make the best decisions we can with the information at hand. It is interesting, thrilling and scary all at the same time.

I am still trying to find a voice for this blog, bear with me.

Later

The beginning of the adventure

We have taken the first step into a wider world. We bought a truck.

Not just any truck but a turbo diesel dually capable, we hope, of pulling around our home and all of our belongings. We call her Flo. She is a 2007 Chevy Duramax diesel with an Allison transmission. I went through a lot of research before deciding on that particular truck. Perhaps someday I will get into it.

For now I will just stick to the basics. I am an ER nurse, currently in Houston TX. My wife and I are packing up some belongings and either selling or storing the rest, selling our house and buying a fifth wheel trailer to take of on the road full time for a while. I will be a travel nurse and she will be a stay at trailer mom. We will be bringing along our two kids and the dog. The cat is staying with the house. (Don't get mad, we know the buyers and they will take care of her.)

In this blog we hope to share some of our experiences and maybe help share some information for others who might want to do something similar. WE have committed to at least one year of this because there are probably going to be many times we will want to up and quit. WE figure we have to give it a good solid try before passing any judgment.

So, wish us luck and read along as we try to figure all this out.