"RV Freedom"

I have been spending some time updating and marketing my eBook series (http://Practice-Marketing-Simplified.com/pr-for-the-professions.html) and while exploring online I ran across a book that I thought might interest some of you who have enjoyed our blog.

It's called RV Freedom and it guides people through a 10-step process of creating a lifestyle of travel freedom on the road.

The book assumes you'll be doing this in an RV, but we have shown you don't even need that to live our lifestyle; we're doing just great in our little Eurovan "TradeMobile" and you could probably do just about all that we do with whatever vehicle you own now. What most people need is a mindset that it IS possible.

• Figure out what your dreams are.
• Keep thinking about them and reading about them.
• Don't let short-term barriers stop you.
• Take small steps if necessary but keep moving toward your goal.
• You'll be surprised at what can happen, and how soon!

I'll keep an eye out for other similar resources and post them to this blog as I find them. You might just enjoy the read and leave it at that, but so many of you have said you loved "living vicariously" with our adventures that I hope some of you will "make it real" in whatever realm makes your own heart jump. ;)

Hugs and "fannie swats" to all!
Teaser

"Home Sweet Home"...or how about "Busy as Bees Again"

Well, we're back home and in the thick of things. There have definitely been no summer doldrums in the market this August!

FireCat is in the midst of writing new software to automate and improve some of our trading processes and strategies. We are both switching brokers--since Schwab swallowed CyberTrader we have not been happy with their platform so we are trying out a smaller, more responsive firm in El Segundo called MB Trader...looks promising so far.

I have been buried in investigating and applying for a mortgage refi since my ARM begins to float in September...yes I know, me and everybody else! Anyway, I found a great rate and have been approved for a new product from ING Direct, only being offered to current customers so far. They've been fast and efficient and I'm only having to pay 5.25%. The product isn't for everyone but it's a great fit for me, so now it's only a matter of finishing the paperwork. That's a relief!

For those of you still relishing summer (it doesn't mean quite the same to us here in California where it's nice year round and just as likely to be foggy in August as sunny), enjoy the rest of the season...and I hope some of you will post some comments to our blog and let us know some of the interesting places and experiences you had on your vacation this year. Who knows, we might just built it in to our next adventure!

8/9/08 – Dad’s house

We have been visiting my dad in Eureka since Wednesday. We had a beautiful drive down through the Redwoods and stopped for a walk up my favorite trail to Fern Canyon at my favorite campground, Prairie Creek State Park. I tell everyone that if you’ve never been in a redwood forest you need to promise yourself to do it at least once in your life. It can’t be described; one has to experience it—that’s all I can say.

Since our visit here last year my dad is now equipped with high speed cable Internet so it is a great place to trade and enables us to stay a little longer than we could before. We have had a good visit with him and it is nice for me to see him and FireCat seem to enjoy each other’s company so much.

Dad is turning 80 this year too—in about a month and a half—so we are celebrating a little early during this visit. Due to some physical difficulties he is unable to travel long distances or I would have him on a cruise too! We are going to enjoy a sushi dinner tonight and do some more visiting. I have enjoyed a lot of sharing this trip of some of the old stories and memories, some from my childhood camping trips and some from his youth before I arrived on the scene. It was great to have FireCat play some old 1940s music on his guitar the other night while my dad sang along. He has always had a great voice and can still belt out “It Had to be You,” making me wish once again that I had received THAT gene! ;)

Of course one of the highlights of my visits here this time of year is that I get to go berry-picking. I was afraid when we arrived that the blackberries weren’t ripe yet because all I could see were little green berries, but I did find some patches up the road yesterday where it must be a little warmer because the blackberries were plump and perfectly ripe. FireCat and I went out today and picked a huge bucket and froze a lot of small containers so Dad can have them on his cereal and ice cream for a few months. I sure wish they could travel better so I could take a bunch home, but mostly I just enjoy the picking. It reminds me of my childhood I guess…except then my mother would make jams and pies and that is a little beyond my skills and inclinations.

We head for home tomorrow, with the required stop at the wonderful Loleta cheese factory and FireCat’s birthday dinner at Gordon Biersch in San Jose. It’s a full week once we get home Monday night, but I am looking forward to seeing my daughter and grandson and getting started on some potential business endeavors. As always, I’ll keep you posted. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

8/3/08 – Post-Vancouver

Photos above - from top to bottom, then right column:
· Teaser – morning stretch or market cheer?
· Vaughn and parents at the new house
· Vaughn

· Alana – our “Vancouver landlady"

· Dr. Carl

· Ferry ride from Whidbey Island
· Seattle waterfront

· FireCat in the flowers
· Dancing Dave



Below:
· Chinese fireworks
· Camping on Whidbey Island

Well, the Chinese fireworks were by far the best—wish we could have seen the finals on Saturday. But instead, we were enjoying a glass of wine around an outdoor campfire under the trees on Whidbey Island with our friends Dr. Carl and Chris.

We met Chris and Carl on our trip to Panama a few years ago and somehow Dr. Carl knew even then that we would become friends. The spot they have on Whidbey Island is absolutely beautiful and reminded me so much of camping as a child in Oregon and Northern California.

We have had a very rich few days visiting friends old and new on our way home from Vancouver. We met a young man named Vaughn two years ago, the first time we attended the Agora Financial Conference in Vancouver. While studying to become a doctor he is also doing some short-term trading. He and FireCat have stayed in touch and shared trading info and experiences and we look forward to seeing him each year in Vancouver.

This year on our way south we stopped at his family home in southern Canada—outside a town called Langley—to see the house his parents are building. What a gorgeous place that is, even though still in progress. Having built his own home, FireCat could really appreciate the amount of work and quality of craftsmanship. They are breeding horses and currently have seven of them—including a one-month old male foal. They are beautiful award-winning animals.

From there we proceeded to Whidbey Island to visit Chris and Carl, and then on to see my dancing buddy Dave, who lives near our home on the Central Coast but had just arrived at a house he owns near Olympia where he will be doing some improvements in between renters. We had a chance to catch up over a nice Thai dinner about his trip to Guatemala and our cross-country trip this year. It is quizzical to meet a friend 1000 miles from home because we haven’t had the chance to catch up where we live a few miles apart. Such is the world we live in I suppose.

Today we drove to Portland and had a very pleasant afternoon walking in the sun down quirky 23rd Avenue, doing some shopping and having a wonderful beer and cheddar soup at the Widmer Brewery. We are staying for a couple nights with Christian, FireCat’s technology friend from Corsica who works at Intel. They are deep into a technology discussion so I figured it was a good time to catch up on the blog.

I find traveling like this, where we have a chance to connect with friends along the way, much more rewarding than just sightseeing and traveling. Touching base to share a glimpse of people’s lives, sharing a bit of ourselves, discussing our life plans and the state of the country—I see the threads of similarity and the differences that make them all unique, I learn something from each of them, and I have a chance to reflect on myself, my views, my experiences. I think this is what life is about—so much of my meaning comes from myself and how I process my experiences, but also much of it comes from the sharing I do with others.

The daily driving is also a good time for sharing between FireCat and me. We are talking about changes we want to make in our trading, and possibly even other business ventures. This may be our last long trip for awhile so we are appreciating all of it, and yet looking forward to some “at home” adventures as we create our future in our local area. Perhaps our friends will come to visit us over the next year if we stay in one place ourselves.