Paleobird's Next Big Adventure page 166

[zoebird]

I look forward to going to India. We won't go until DS is over age 8, simply because I don't want to vaccinate him for anything until he's that age, and then I'll do it over several years to manage the viral/chemical load on his body.

but our plan is to travel the US for a year when he's around 10/11 -- so that might come before india.

[lissee]

Good morning! I wanted to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.

Sorry I've been off the boards a bit recently, am TDY in the States and I haven't had time to check in to say hello.

Good luck in deciding where your next big trip will be. Myself, I've always wanted to go on one long road trip across the States, just hit the road and explore. And as others have advised, I'd hold off on any major decisions for a little while (like selling your home,) but yes, it's good to de-junk, clear out the house, it kind of goes hand in hand with the primal way of life anyway. Getting back to the simple pleasures in life!

As for trips, I really enjoyed my hikes in the Alps this past summer, you can arrange to go on a hut to hut hike (they huts can either be rough, or as nice as a B&B, they have food and beds, so you don't end up carrying much.), or you can stay in one B&B and hike all over one valley. Myself, I ended up staying in Soeldon Sölden - official Website, they have several trams in the area, you can either hike up or tram up and then hike all day around the area. It's fabulous.

This is where I stayed, if you email them you can get a better rate than if you go through booking.com. Hotel Maria Theresia tztal Tirol


Well, I'm off to the store, I burnt my cranberries last night when trying to make a sauce (dang stove that I'm not used to cooking on....) need to go buy more before the day gets away from me.

My thoughts are with you.
-Lissee

[Pebbles67]

PB, I hope you have some good plans for today. Holidays are tough especially the first year. Thinking of you today.

PS I retire in 10 years so fair warning.

[Paleobird]

Spelunking is a little too adventurous for me, personally. I prefer adventurous eating. I remember on a trip to India there was an older American couple at the next table and they were trying desperately to order plain meat without any garlic or spices. They think that's barbaric in India. No self-respecting chef would serve such barbaric food. I think they probably had a terrible time in India. To be fair, I also had a terrible time in India. But not because of the food. I liked the food. It's a difficult place to visit, especially if you are female, American and blond and accompanied by an "American businessman" who obviously has money. Any one of those would be enough, but the combination was pretty difficult. I'd go again though. I like the adventure.

I agree. Barbaric and boring.

PB, more than simply spelunking (although I am fond of his fondness for...spelunking). He has his SCUBA cert and loves doing things like cave dives. I like caves too and will happily do them on foot or snorkelling, but I've only done the pool portion of my SCUBA training--I'm a little anxious about it because of my lungs but will probably do my open water training eventually.

SB, India was definitely a place for adventurous eating. I was in heaven. I joke that I eat my way through every country I visit. I think my experience of travelling there was a little different though because I was there primarily to do field work and definitely did not appear to be any sort of business person. The fun bit was when we were in Delhi during the Commonwealth Games and people kept thinking my partner was one of the athletes because he was tall, muscular, and obviously foreign. Kids kept wanting pictures with him.

I walked up to the check-in counter at the airport and the man there was surprised by my Canadian passport. He told me I looked far so Indian that he was shocked to find out I was a Canadian visitor. The long brown hair, nose piercing, and my choice of traditional simple khadi salwar kameez and leather chappals probably helped (the hair and nose ring I had long before I went, the clothing just seemed like the most sensible thing for the heat and for cultural appropriateness). I'm a bit too tall and pale to be passably Indian otherwise, but I think I was dressed so little like a tourist that he simply assumed I must belong there.

Sigh. Every time I think about India, I miss it so much that my heart aches. I will go back, hopefully soon.

India is definitely on the short list of soon to be traveled places for me.

I look forward to going to India. We won't go until DS is over age 8, simply because I don't want to vaccinate him for anything until he's that age, and then I'll do it over several years to manage the viral/chemical load on his body.

but our plan is to travel the US for a year when he's around 10/11 -- so that might come before india.

If your itinerary includes San Diego, Let me know.

Good morning! I wanted to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.

Sorry I've been off the boards a bit recently, am TDY in the States and I haven't had time to check in to say hello.

Good luck in deciding where your next big trip will be. Myself, I've always wanted to go on one long road trip across the States, just hit the road and explore. And as others have advised, I'd hold off on any major decisions for a little while (like selling your home,) but yes, it's good to de-junk, clear out the house, it kind of goes hand in hand with the primal way of life anyway. Getting back to the simple pleasures in life!

As for trips, I really enjoyed my hikes in the Alps this past summer, you can arrange to go on a hut to hut hike (they huts can either be rough, or as nice as a B&B, they have food and beds, so you don't end up carrying much.), or you can stay in one B&B and hike all over one valley. Myself, I ended up staying in Soeldon Sölden - official Website, they have several trams in the area, you can either hike up or tram up and then hike all day around the area. It's fabulous.

This is where I stayed, if you email them you can get a better rate than if you go through booking.com. Hotel Maria Theresia tztal Tirol


Well, I'm off to the store, I burnt my cranberries last night when trying to make a sauce (dang stove that I'm not used to cooking on....) need to go buy more before the day gets away from me.

My thoughts are with you.
-Lissee

Thank you, Lissee.

PB, I hope you have some good plans for today. Holidays are tough especially the first year. Thinking of you today.

PS I retire in 10 years so fair warning.

My Mom died right at this same time of year, in fact the two of them were within a few days of each other just 23 years apart. So, the holidays have been a little weird for a while.

I had a really nice thanksgiving dinner and stayed overnight in Orange County (between here and LA) with my BFF/second Mom and all her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. They were all very sweet to me and I felt right at home.

[Paleobird]

So, it is looking like my neighbors from across the street are not going to be renting my excess house space as a studio after all. They had a good long talk and think about it over the weekend and the space I have is not really big enough for what they need. His photography business is doing really well and they are hiring more people. While it would be nice to commute to work by walking across the street, they would really be shoehorning their operations in here with no room for growth.

So, that leaves me thinking more about the selling option. When I consider the money I could make from renting the space vs. the dividends I could make from selling and putting it in an investment fund, I think the money comes out about even. And the hassle factor is definitely lower with selling and finding a nice apartment.

A metaphor came into my head today about the house and my life. It's like clothing left over from the size 16 that I used to be. It just doesn't fit anymore and if I tried to wear it on my new size 6 body, it would only get in the way and slow me down. I think I have a size 16 house and a size 6 life. I am single with the health, financial freedom, and desire to travel. That is a lean lithe life and I like it that way. The house just feels like baggy old pants tripping me up.

[zoebird]

I totally get what you mean. It's why we like renting. If a place no longer meets our needs or fits us, we head out into new digs.

[Pebbles67]

I love our home, but sometimes I think about the joy of having repair work done for us. Our house is falling apart and we can't keep up.

[Paleobird]

I totally get what you mean. It's why we like renting. If a place no longer meets our needs or fits us, we head out into new digs.

I love our home, but sometimes I think about the joy of having repair work done for us. Our house is falling apart and we can't keep up.

Exactly. This place is not getting any newer either. And when you figure in property taxes, utilities, and repair and maintenance costs (like say the cost of a new roof spread out over the time that you use it), you really don't come out ahead by much as far as the cost goes over renting. Unless of course you are doing all the maintenance yourself but then you become like my Dad whose whole life revolved around this house with a half dozen projects in process at any given time. It was like he never really retired. His job just became the care and maintenance of this house.
I will adore him forever for having provided the best possible place to grow up. This house is a gorgeous safe little enclave on a dead end street in a little quiet canyon, no traffic, etc. It's the perfect place to raise a family. But that is not my life now or in the future. I think it's time for me to move on.

[MarissaLinnea]

If you sell your house, are you going to stay in San Diego or would you want to move somewhere else?

[Paleobird]

If you sell your house, are you going to stay in San Diego or would you want to move somewhere else?

Well, San Diego does still have the most perfect climate I have ever found in all my world travels. There are some nice neighborhoods close to the urban center of town that have some high rise buildings originally built as condos but, due to the market being a bit saturated, they are being rented out as apartments. I am looking around at some of those. There is this one really cool little neighborhood called "Little Italy" down by the marina district (traditionally the fishing industry in SD was run mostly by Italians). Little Italy has lots of really nice restaurants and coffee houses and what I think is the best farmers market in SD. I could walk to all of those things with my faithful Primal Wolf Cub.

That brings up another consideration in the "to sell or not to sell" question. I don't know exactly how old my dog is but he is upwards of ten. He isn't up for the half marathon walks and the all day trail hikes the way he used to be so I know he is slowing down a bit.

As it is now, he has the whole yard to run around in with a doggie door so I don't have to do regular "walkies" with him twice a day. It is his domain and he is comfortable here.

OTOH, living in an apartment would probably be good for getting both of us out and walking more.