Been missing for awhile, haven't noticed eh? I still lurk whenever I can. I'll be glad when the election is history, can't say as I'm going to miss it. I am a sometime Democrat mostly Independent. Can't say as either candidate is my favorite. I just wish Elizabeth Warren was in the mix. Oh well, life goes on. Had a doctor's appointment today, labs, it was my 6 month PCP follow up after my Type II diagnosis. Hope things come out well, doctor seems to think I'll live a while longer. Problem was he was in a talkative mood today, covered many subjects including religion ('Do you believe in a higher power?'), then he moved onto politics, gest of it was, he is a stance GOP, telling me to ignore what his candidate says & think of what he could do for our country. Very uncomfortable visit. I don't want to anger my doctor, you want them in your corner. I forced myself to remain quieter than normal, my wife was more argumentative. Thanks to the powers that be, he had other patients to see.
What's been taking up most of my time was a death of one of my best friends, also our BIL he passed away in Aug. He had many, many dire conditions that he had suffered through. Starting with a bad auto accident which led to plastic surgery in his early adulthood, then Hep C from the transfusions, then kidney failure, dialysis for last 8 years, then a stroke, then finally a quadruple bypass. He survived them all but his quality of life was crap. He finally succumbed to a drop in BP resulting in losing the use of his lower bowels and legs. He refused any more medications or therapy, he wanted it to end. We went to Utah for his funeral, our first time back in 5 years. We enjoyed visits with old friends & relatives. We stayed at our son's met a few of his female friends (his 2nd divorce & resolve to never marry again).
With my weight loss, BMI is 24.8 (normal weight), BP normal, A1C < 5 & I'm feeling better than I have for many years. I'm much more active, walking somewhat everyday. During my career back maybe 15 years ago I purchased a plot of land. It is 8 acres in a forested area, near a lake up on a mountain. Never had done anything with it. My son was using it for a storage yard & I always wanted to use it for the purpose I had bought it for (family cabin). I had a conversation with him, then when I returned home my oldest daughter had embarked on a quest of her own. She's a widow with enough to support herself & had reached the point in her life where she wanted to give the whole scene the boot. She bought herself a used van, had a mechanic go through it & now has plans to go van dwelling, summers here-winters in AZ. She's going to sell her home, take the proceeds & live her life on the road with her dog. She's very independent & loved to camp when she was younger. She alway had a wish to do this even when her husband was alive. I also had a conversation with my younger daughter & her husband. He is very handy. He's a cabinet maker/counter installer for a local company. We discussed the idea of developing the land for a permanent camping area as a backup plan for creating a retreat in the event of a national disaster. I'm not a survivalist/prepper/extremist in any shape or form what I am is a planner.
As you move through life into retirement planning becomes second nature or at least it was for me. I lived by my wits until my 50's then I started planning retirement. Luckily I had a decent pension plan along with SS to look forward to. I was vested into a solid plan that my former company offered. I also had my 401K but that is only a reserve that I hadn't planned to sustain me in my 'Golden Years'. It's a perk but now nearing 72, needs to be drawn on. I retired with mind blowing debt that was all my fault & have since retired all of it. Planning & budgeting became my hobby after 3 life threatening conditions that I hope are behind me. Also, going on a fixed income, making sure my wife is well taken care of were my main focus. All my ducks are in a row now, I have adequate income to indulge my desire to develop the 8 acres.
I wanted to originally live in a motor home, purchased one just after retirement, it became a money pit, mostly in storage so off with the old so to speak (sold it, 3 years gone). I became interested in the series (Preppers) a year or so back. Critiqued them, commenting to the wife what they should do, decided the only thing I would store was toilet paper (someone in Texas came up with the same idea). Then, tabling that idea I next became interested in the 'Tiny Home' movement. I had the land, skills & vision to make it workable. My only hold up was the expense. I couldn't see where you could possibly build one for the estimates that were quoting on TV. I'll be darned it I was going to spend $50K for 200 sq ft. I tabled that also, next I re-looked into a motor home. Draw back to that is if the mechanics go bad you are into putting more money & effort into those than there are worth. Next, was actually a workable solution. My son has a 29' travel trailer he bought but didn't realize the hassle & expense to trail an over sized trailer all over the US. He suggested he move his trailer on the land, I purchase him a smaller more manageable one for his truck, Bob's your uncle.
The only trouble with the above scenario is the snow fall we get on the mountain in the winter. So, we would have to build a cover, again another expense. He has solar panels, generator & all the camping gear I would need. So it's definitely a good plan for the summers. My latest idea is to build a modular site with at least 4 smaller buildings. What you say! I was reading about a guy who lost his job, moved to another state for employment, bought some ground, lost his job again, bought a small used travel trailer for working from home as a contract employee, bought a 2nd trailer, gutted it made it his bedroom & bath, bought a 3rd, gutted it made it his kitchen & dining area. My idea is to move the 29' on the property in the spring, buy the material to build me a 12 X 16 ft shed (2 doors, 2 windows) make it my sleeping shed.
Next spring with a tow-able chuck wagon we have in the family, buy the material for a 2nd shed same size, use it for kitchen/dining. Then in the 3rd spring live in the first two & buy the material for a 3rd that can be used for a living room/whatever. Somewhere along the way I need to group a smaller 8 X 8 shed for a bath house & latrine. The 12 X 16's will cost at current rate less than $3,000 = $9,000 & the 8 X 8 will run $1,500. I figure without furnishings I'll need less than $12,000 for all four. I've priced all the material at Home Depot along with porta potties, stoves, refrigs, beds & chairs so I'll be into all of it less than a nice 30' motor home. I worked construction & have remodeled 3 homes myself along with my SIL & son we should be able to do all the work ourselves.
We will have our own little quaint tiny home site, on our mountain top. I don’t plan to move there full time, only I thought maybe once a month spend a few days doing repairs, upgrades & sitting by the camp fire with coffee cup on my knee. My wife said she has no desire to venture with, she’s completely content to stay at home while I camp. If I could get into fishing, there is a major river in the canyon below that is considered one of the hot spots for trout fishing. Who knows? Also, back in my early adult life I did do a little deer hunting. The mountains are full of mule deer, but when you shoot one the work starts, I’m not that keen on venison or trout, I’m a meat eater as long as it comes in those little white packages that you thaw & through on the grill. So they are probably safe from me.
My 3 year plan.
