Now that things have settled down to a mild roar...

[W4RLR]

The wife and I are still technically "homeless". That is a bit of a blessing in disguise as Laura and I are now just going to wait and see what comes our way in terms of a property. We're now living in a seasonal RV spot at Shellmound RV Resort next to Nickajack Lake about 30 minutes west of Chattanooga. Absolutely beautiful surroundings, the site is oversized so my fifth-wheel trailer, the truck, wife's car and my spare car which I use to tool around in to save diesel all fit. Being retired and on a pension means I don't have to get up for work, and the site rent is cheap at $325 a month, including water and electricity. I have to haul the "honey wagon" tote to the sanitary dump station every few days, which is really the only "down side" to living in a 30 by 9 foot space.

We originally thought of getting a house that would allow our kids to visit long term, we're now thinking smaller and along the lines of an "RV port" which would allow us to have our furniture that is currently in storage set back up, and save us enough money where we could travel more.

Tennessee is an awesome place, they like their veterans as I now have permanently issued vehicle plates for both the truck and my wife's car, both free of charge. I had to pay for the plate for the small Ford Escort, but it was cheap. The most expensive plate was for the fifth-wheel trailer, $95, but it's also a permanent plate. We're about 40 miles from the nearest military commissary, about an hour and a half from the nearest base with an exchange and military hospital (Redstone Arsenal, Alabama). We're still close enough to Florida where we can be there in six hours, the two youngest kids are still in college in Pensacola.

So, if I've been out of touch for awhile, trying to get a house has kept me busy and otherwise occupied. For the next few months though, we're taking it easy and seeing where life takes us. We've found a nice church community, are going to take a lot of day trips and sightsee, and I have finally resigned myself to retirement, which is tough for a type "A" personality. Maybe I can finally meet some of you guys face to face after being a part of this forum for years and years.

Anyone have any good ideas for me as to how to proceed with retirement and maybe setting up a small base of operations? Any ideas for internet access other than tethering to an iPhone?

All the best,

Richard and Laura

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Sounds like you're getting a handle on things. I hope you find the property you are wanting. Good Luck.

 

[Dogman]

Ray it sounds like you have the retirement thing all under control. On the internet thing I would look at Hughes net I think there called. It's a satellite internet. Then you can take it with you, it's a little slower then cable but faster then Iphone.

 

[DaveBen]

Wild Blue is another choice for Hughes Net. I think it is faster for the money and better service.


Dave

 

[nbookie]

wildblue would be the way I’d go. better support as I’ve found and cheaper. BUT and a big but is an air card from your cell service can work very well. We use one from AT&T in truck and in remote Wyoming we still stream netflix and Hulu+ all day as one drives and one works. We lived out an RV for about 2 years at the ripe age of 20 something. When i deployed i put it a storage unit and it was on the lake or touring the back roads when i was state side.

As for what you should when retired? Well,,,,,, nothing is a good start. but really if you are not tied to TN then set out for a few months a year and see the Tetons in western Wy and understand why the Duke couldn't stop talking about them, swing through Stella Missouri during harvest season (its not much more than a black dot & good food), visit FT Hood Texas and watch a live gunnery or 4th July with the troops, or just watch the antelope pass by on the high plains. Lastly head for southern Cali and point yr rig north, don’t stop until you see Russia, then head east till the great lakes are in your rear view then its back south to home. Whatever you do try to avoid the interstates, the stress will shorten your retirement.

I hated small towns and narrow roads with our trailer but i loved narrow roads that took you through small towns. Coffee in a one stop town taste so much better than flying J.

Wish you best of luck, we hope to join your ranks before we are to old but at 30 yrs young we are just planning long term.

 

[WD40]

I am camping in a campground in South East OK and they have
wildblue Wi-Fi and it works real good, just a little slow when 8 or 10 of us get on it.
Ray, sure glad to hear things are working out for you two.
If you keep hanging around where you are now I may try to see you the last week of
April or later in June.
Doug

 

[BIG JOE]

Like the others have said Ray.. Glad to hear things are going your way now, and more settled.

We've been fully Retired for 5 years now. Been so busy at it.. we don't know how.. we had Time To Work.

It's SO nice to be able to do things.. at OUR want to .. Or NOT ?

Joe

 

[WD40]

We just got home tonight, we left home March 18th and planed on being gone about 8 to maybe 10 days. That didn't work out so we just stayed a
little longer. Had a great time with old friends. Some of the guys and gals caught some fish ever day so we cooked fish 3 or 4 times while we were
there.
Doug

 

[94f450sd]

Good luck! If youre ever up hear in massachusetts, make sure you contact me.id love to meet you and have a coffee.coffee is on me.

 

[architect-builder]

Be very careful about "Hughes Net".

That's who we used to have at home. We started with the company before them, just cannot remember the name of it before Hughesnet bought them out (or absorbed them who knows). All of a sudden they added a "fair access policy". If you exceed their magic number of data, your speed drops considerably, slower than most dial-up. Rachel also teaches on-line and could not work from home anymore. Of course, you can pay more if you exceed it to get credits to get your speed back. Another get more money ploy.

Google it and you will find a lot of info on it.

Just a FYI.

Barrett