Losing track of days flying by. Getting into a joyous rhythm here. Enjoying the peaceful pace. A glimpse into what retirement feels like. Pondering not having to make money! What a shift.
Everything changes. Just when you get a handle on living life, life changes and you need to change it up. I better get good at Bocce Ball if living in Palm Springs!
Been having fun exploring. Not buying anything much. Just looking is exciting enough. Watching what others are buying's new sport to me. I’ve become wary of buying anything. When I sold house in Seattle it took 3 months to clear out stuff. I still have 3 storage units full even though I sold half in garage sales and via Craigslist.
Palm trees are amazing. Everywhere lining the streets. Casting interesting shadows and
dashing sky with beautiful forms. Buildings low to the desert. A sleek village feel. Shops are tastefully packed with stylish stuff. Christmas decor is not over the top here. Tolerable (me not big on Xmas).
About cost of living in Palm Springs. Food costs noticeably more here than anywhere on my 6 month journey. There is Ralphs, Vons, and Costco where I do most grocery shopping. All in all it may be better to eat out at night. Restaurants I’ve checked out are very reasonable. Generous portions. Several times I took extra home. Gas costs more here. Around 2.50/gallon right now. In New Mexico gas was 1.89!!! Don’t know what gas is in Northwest. Buying land here is abstract. You buy the lot but not the land. The land's a patchwork with some offered for lease from Indian tribe. Horizon sells mobile homes for 10-25K. Seems cheap! however, there is an additional monthly rent around $600/month. So, that doesn’t seem like a good deal to me.
There is a city ordinance against parking an RV on an empty lot. Thats what I’d like to do: buy a lot and park a three months every year. If everyone did that it would look ghetto here. Gotta work with the rules. Still sniffing out best deal to park here.
Houses are cheap compared to Seattle. A nice average home can be had for 300k.
Very tempting. Temps get up to 110 in summer. Yikes.
Met with an artist friend from Seattle, John Hansen and wife Jane, in La Quinta. They’ve made a wonderful home there, very comfortable with large backyard and pool.
Was a foreclosed fixer upper. They did the desert landscaping with top notch result.
We hiked in the cove with dogs, drinking in the desert wonder. Great mountains jut up like knives. They invite me for dinner with a couple friends from Idylwild (west over mountain). They are New Yorkers, delightful and intelligent conversation.
The mayor of Idylwild is a Golden Retriever ! Max has a website: www.mayormax.com
What a night life! If I take a nap I can go past 9. Many fun bars to crawl in Palm Springs. Many older faces make me feel welcome. PS could be a great place to retire. Good thing about wheels is you can mix it up, stay or go, enjoying contrasts life has to offer. Total peace and quiet of the wilderness or the busi-ness/culture of city. I have a mobile phone and a mobile home. My mind is becoming mobile centric. Sounds positive. On the other hand there is great comfort having roots. Oxymoron to have both?
Met with Dave Calver again at Koffi, the modern sleek coffee shop near 'The Curve' in south Palm Springs. Dave is like cheese, he has improved with age. Google Dave Calver to see his brilliant artwork. Can’t wait for graphic novel to be published as it will be intriguing masterpiece. I showed him my secret project. He was encouraging.
Been checking tarot cards lately and am amazed by readings. Cards keep telling me to dream. Be myself. Let go of inhibitions. Dispose of hopes and fears. I keep drawing The Star card. Tarot's fun but I don’t put much stock in it. It's good to stop and consider your past present and future time to time.
These dogs've been great companions. Sometimes I think JP and GG are better people than most people. Watching this socio-political crap unfold on TV. People hating each other. Friction and terror are being played in media. People are entertained by this hysteria. Religious war. If you ask me, there’s much more history going on in the present than there should be. People believe a lot of crazy stuff. How’s this for advice? People: Believe what you can observe. Stop believing in tired invisible entities (religion) presented as gods. Destruction is the consequence of your delusions. Irresponsible ‘bearing fruit and multiplying’ is harming Earth. We need to pay attention to nature. Be responsible and respect laws of cause and effect. These old beliefs and superstitions are crippling everyone. Also, stop talking so loud! Stop laughing after everything and anything you say! That alone would improve the world (you know who you are).
Another good thing about RV wheels. Crowd control. I can get away from people as long as I can fill the tank.
I care about beauty, creating art, dogs, football, beer (and wine), travel, money.
You know, I keep trying to engage in conversation and have new experiences. People regurgitate recordings (myself included). All perfectly predictable and boring. I’d like to find a partner to share remainder of life with but I’ve not been able to promise anyone anything. How can anyone own rights to anyone else? Freedom. I have trouble with these basic ideas and thus am destined to be a loner.
Today I’m headed into Desert Hot Springs to nose about. Found a bar called Playoffs to watch Seahawks play the Browns. I’ve learned the hard way that even if one gets Dish it doesn’t mean all games are accessible. Direct TV has all the games available but because of a misleading promotional I nixed Direct TV.
Tonight I’m staying at Two Springs RV Resort. They offer a 2 night stay, free to prospective property buyers. I checked the dozen or so lots for sale. They are about 2500 sq feet. Ample for an RV, storage shed, patio, and place to park a vehicle. The lots are surrounded with tall hedges, surprisingly private. The amenities: big deluxe pool, spa, tennis courts, bocce ball, putting greens, community center. The cost is 35K. A desert oasis. I like the idea of owning the property so I can sell it when done with it. I ask if I'd own the land. No, he said. I'd be buying the lot. Whaaaat?
Ultimately its a lease. Where I come from, when you buy property it belongs to you.
That's not how they sell real estate here in Palm Springs. I guess you're buying access. Sounds too much like a shell game. I'm wary but still considering it. After all, there are 194 lots here and 180 or so are taken. What would happen if this company went bankrupt? These people do not have deeds.
Maybe renting the space when I'm visiting is the obvious answer! That would save me a lot by not buying the lot.
Everything changes. Just when you get a handle on living life, life changes and you need to change it up. I better get good at Bocce Ball if living in Palm Springs!
Been having fun exploring. Not buying anything much. Just looking is exciting enough. Watching what others are buying's new sport to me. I’ve become wary of buying anything. When I sold house in Seattle it took 3 months to clear out stuff. I still have 3 storage units full even though I sold half in garage sales and via Craigslist.
Palm trees are amazing. Everywhere lining the streets. Casting interesting shadows and
dashing sky with beautiful forms. Buildings low to the desert. A sleek village feel. Shops are tastefully packed with stylish stuff. Christmas decor is not over the top here. Tolerable (me not big on Xmas).
About cost of living in Palm Springs. Food costs noticeably more here than anywhere on my 6 month journey. There is Ralphs, Vons, and Costco where I do most grocery shopping. All in all it may be better to eat out at night. Restaurants I’ve checked out are very reasonable. Generous portions. Several times I took extra home. Gas costs more here. Around 2.50/gallon right now. In New Mexico gas was 1.89!!! Don’t know what gas is in Northwest. Buying land here is abstract. You buy the lot but not the land. The land's a patchwork with some offered for lease from Indian tribe. Horizon sells mobile homes for 10-25K. Seems cheap! however, there is an additional monthly rent around $600/month. So, that doesn’t seem like a good deal to me.
There is a city ordinance against parking an RV on an empty lot. Thats what I’d like to do: buy a lot and park a three months every year. If everyone did that it would look ghetto here. Gotta work with the rules. Still sniffing out best deal to park here.
Houses are cheap compared to Seattle. A nice average home can be had for 300k.
Very tempting. Temps get up to 110 in summer. Yikes.
Met with an artist friend from Seattle, John Hansen and wife Jane, in La Quinta. They’ve made a wonderful home there, very comfortable with large backyard and pool.
Was a foreclosed fixer upper. They did the desert landscaping with top notch result.
We hiked in the cove with dogs, drinking in the desert wonder. Great mountains jut up like knives. They invite me for dinner with a couple friends from Idylwild (west over mountain). They are New Yorkers, delightful and intelligent conversation.
The mayor of Idylwild is a Golden Retriever ! Max has a website: www.mayormax.com
What a night life! If I take a nap I can go past 9. Many fun bars to crawl in Palm Springs. Many older faces make me feel welcome. PS could be a great place to retire. Good thing about wheels is you can mix it up, stay or go, enjoying contrasts life has to offer. Total peace and quiet of the wilderness or the busi-ness/culture of city. I have a mobile phone and a mobile home. My mind is becoming mobile centric. Sounds positive. On the other hand there is great comfort having roots. Oxymoron to have both?
Met with Dave Calver again at Koffi, the modern sleek coffee shop near 'The Curve' in south Palm Springs. Dave is like cheese, he has improved with age. Google Dave Calver to see his brilliant artwork. Can’t wait for graphic novel to be published as it will be intriguing masterpiece. I showed him my secret project. He was encouraging.
Been checking tarot cards lately and am amazed by readings. Cards keep telling me to dream. Be myself. Let go of inhibitions. Dispose of hopes and fears. I keep drawing The Star card. Tarot's fun but I don’t put much stock in it. It's good to stop and consider your past present and future time to time.
These dogs've been great companions. Sometimes I think JP and GG are better people than most people. Watching this socio-political crap unfold on TV. People hating each other. Friction and terror are being played in media. People are entertained by this hysteria. Religious war. If you ask me, there’s much more history going on in the present than there should be. People believe a lot of crazy stuff. How’s this for advice? People: Believe what you can observe. Stop believing in tired invisible entities (religion) presented as gods. Destruction is the consequence of your delusions. Irresponsible ‘bearing fruit and multiplying’ is harming Earth. We need to pay attention to nature. Be responsible and respect laws of cause and effect. These old beliefs and superstitions are crippling everyone. Also, stop talking so loud! Stop laughing after everything and anything you say! That alone would improve the world (you know who you are).
Another good thing about RV wheels. Crowd control. I can get away from people as long as I can fill the tank.
I care about beauty, creating art, dogs, football, beer (and wine), travel, money.
You know, I keep trying to engage in conversation and have new experiences. People regurgitate recordings (myself included). All perfectly predictable and boring. I’d like to find a partner to share remainder of life with but I’ve not been able to promise anyone anything. How can anyone own rights to anyone else? Freedom. I have trouble with these basic ideas and thus am destined to be a loner.
Today I’m headed into Desert Hot Springs to nose about. Found a bar called Playoffs to watch Seahawks play the Browns. I’ve learned the hard way that even if one gets Dish it doesn’t mean all games are accessible. Direct TV has all the games available but because of a misleading promotional I nixed Direct TV.
Tonight I’m staying at Two Springs RV Resort. They offer a 2 night stay, free to prospective property buyers. I checked the dozen or so lots for sale. They are about 2500 sq feet. Ample for an RV, storage shed, patio, and place to park a vehicle. The lots are surrounded with tall hedges, surprisingly private. The amenities: big deluxe pool, spa, tennis courts, bocce ball, putting greens, community center. The cost is 35K. A desert oasis. I like the idea of owning the property so I can sell it when done with it. I ask if I'd own the land. No, he said. I'd be buying the lot. Whaaaat?
Ultimately its a lease. Where I come from, when you buy property it belongs to you.
That's not how they sell real estate here in Palm Springs. I guess you're buying access. Sounds too much like a shell game. I'm wary but still considering it. After all, there are 194 lots here and 180 or so are taken. What would happen if this company went bankrupt? These people do not have deeds.
Maybe renting the space when I'm visiting is the obvious answer! That would save me a lot by not buying the lot.
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