Compared to my sticks and bricks home, as fellow Roadtreking blogger RT Campskunk likes to call them, my RS Adventurous is a tiny bit smaller. There is no guest bedroom or bath. No den, mudroom or attic. No island in the kitchen. No gables, widow’s walk or walkout basement.
I can’t send kids to their rooms for time outs. I don’t have a big front-loading washer/dryer set. I can’t have a 300 gallon, glass tank for a pet boa constrictor. I can’t throw a ball around the living room for Her Majesty the Pooch. Although I shouldn’t in the big house either, I usually destroy something – bad hand/eye thing. I can’t soak in a jetted tub until I look like a Shar Pei. There is no wine cellar, either. Okay, so I don’t have a jetted tub or wine room in the big house, but you get the picture.
So what?
I don’t even take baths, I prefer showers with hot water and good pressure. Got one in the RT! If, on the rare occasion I need a hot tub after a grueling day of picnicking in a mountain meadow, I can zip over to the hot springs in my spiffy spa-mobile.
Clean undies? There are laundry facilities everywhere, which bring back the good old college days. Not only that, but when I’m done fondly reminiscing, most have lending libraries and people with whom to chat. Added bonus- I can sometimes pick up an extra sock for the loner I always seem to have. At a laundry, I can do more than one load at a time, thus not spend my whole day fussing with it, so I can go to the cow chip throwing contest that afternoon in town.
I can’t have a pet boa, but I can take Olga (my beloved RV) to Reptile World and see macho guys wrestling real live gators, which is way cooler than watching a boa lay there anyway. They never do anything except escape to die in the ventilation system.
I can throw a ball as far as I can (approximately 11. 6 feet) so my volunteer health trainer dog can run after it, pick it up in her drooling mouth and take off in the wrong direction, forcing me to chase her. No breakage involved unless it’s me tripping over a log. No need for a never used exercise room with an expensive, dusty elliptical machine.
While Roadtreking, I can look out of my window in the morning and see 12 elk a-milling, or 11 dolphins leaping, or 10 boy scouts hiking, or 9 antique stores opening, or 8 giant redwoods growing (that one actually might take more time than I have).
I can’t drive the big house. In it, as I sip my java in the morning, I have to stare at the huge dead tree that is going to cost 2 gold bars to cut down. In my swift RV, I can change my view any time. No mowing or yard work (alas- no good looking lawn guy but there are usually one or 2 good looking rangers in the parks). So there, big fat dead tree- I’m outta here!
Some days are meant just for puttering around the house. This happens in Olga, too. I can make a root beer float, read schleppy mysteries, stretch out, nap, nibble bon bons, talk on the phone and surf the web. I can play video games, watch stupid TV and be a zombie couch potato with the best of ‘em.
It only takes 52 seconds to sweep the floor, about 4 minutes to clean the bathroom and only a quick swipe for the kitchen counter. I don’t even break a sweat!
On the road, I can’t spend a lot of money collecting decorator plates, cabbage patch dolls or stuffed deer heads. No room. Instead, I use that money for important stuff like gelato and small, but tasteful jewelry.
Added incentive- no chimney sweeping. I wouldn’t dare make S’mores in my fireplace in the stix and brix home; who wants to scrape the burned, gooey marshmallows? At the campfire -let ‘em drop! (As long as I’m not in bear country.)
I do have a large bed, which can probably fit 2 kings and a jester, were I into that sort of thing. And the commode is so comfy, I can sit and read “Weird Roadside Attractions” as long as I want.
I can visit friends and not have to sleep in their teenaged boy’s room that smells like rotten sneakers. I am confident that my drooling dog won’t eat their cat’s food (or the cat). I am assured that I will have more than 20 thread count sheets; and I can get up, as many times as I need throughout the night, and not trip over that frikking cat.
I do like my sticks and bricks. I love my friends and family at home, and Kansas City is a thriving metropolis. But when I get that frequent itch for a change, I just hop in my wee home on wheels and vamoose, knowing I’ve got it all. Then, I don’t have to stare at that dead tree in the yard for a while. Instead, I can watch 7 surfers surfing while not doing housework.
78 Responses to “A Wee Home”
Comments are closed.
September 19, 2014at8:34 pm, Daniel Parker said:
Good sturdy house
September 18, 2014at11:56 pm, Derek Garrett said:
Would love to live here
September 18, 2014at10:21 pm, Romona Jones said:
Packin’ now
September 18, 2014at5:33 pm, Kyle Hannah said:
Yup
September 18, 2014at1:20 pm, Tonda Barry said:
Awesome
September 18, 2014at12:22 pm, Dawn Lail Wilson said:
Where is this?
September 18, 2014at10:00 am, Larry Walters said:
This photo shows great character in its presentation, loved it, what history may have taken place here?
September 18, 2014at8:29 am, Melanie Partaine Tollison said:
You say fixer upper .I say a tearer downer. And starter overer ….
September 18, 2014at8:28 am, Melanie Partaine Tollison said:
Looks like Dorothy’s house in the wizard of oz .auntie Ann auntie Ann ….
September 18, 2014at5:26 am, Ruthie S Williams said:
Would love to hear the stories of these walls
September 18, 2014at2:33 am, Sandra Saltiel said:
Does it have central heat and air?
September 18, 2014at12:28 am, Dennis R Jackson said:
I could live here
September 17, 2014at11:05 pm, Linda Kromm said:
Definitely a fixer upper !
September 17, 2014at10:16 pm, Joe Bartello said:
Hope the owner doesn’t smoke.
September 17, 2014at10:05 pm, Susie Rogers Marks said:
Is that Bodie?
September 17, 2014at10:00 pm, Rita Beauregard said:
I love it. Look at the tumble weed. I bet its nice inside. If it had a stream by to catch water and a outdoor toilet. That’s all you would need. Love the wide open spaces.
September 17, 2014at9:18 pm, Tracy Lynn Gutierrez said:
I like that it’s not to big.
September 17, 2014at9:17 pm, Frank C Garcia said:
Awesome
September 17, 2014at9:10 pm, Jerry Mccormick said:
I could live in it and be happy
September 17, 2014at8:32 pm, Brenda L. Dunn said:
Tumbleweeds
September 17, 2014at8:27 pm, Tony Dodd said:
Awesome
September 17, 2014at8:15 pm, Rose Marie Chiasson said:
This old house you wonder who lived there once apon a time
September 17, 2014at7:23 pm, Sheree Schmaling said:
I love it
September 17, 2014at7:17 pm, Kathleen Pittman said:
Love this…
September 17, 2014at7:14 pm, Scott Grace said:
simple life is the best life.
September 17, 2014at7:07 pm, Erik Melgaard said:
You kidding it is turn key move in ready lol
September 17, 2014at7:07 pm, Rick Hurst said:
Just needs some TLC.
September 17, 2014at7:01 pm, David Lobo Clark said:
That’s a real “Fixer-up-er”
September 17, 2014at8:26 pm, Joseph Pospicil said:
looks to be move in ready ?
September 17, 2014at6:49 pm, Cathy Adams said:
Love this picture! !
September 17, 2014at6:44 pm, Marcia Messing Tymochko said:
Love it
September 17, 2014at6:38 pm, A.b. Arnold said:
Little House on the prairie!
September 17, 2014at6:35 pm, Wayne Mitchell said:
I have lived in wers. Check the out house for spiders and Snaks
September 17, 2014at6:30 pm, Marion Wilkins said:
Love this…!!!!!!
September 17, 2014at6:15 pm, Elsa Garcia said:
Beautiful!!
May 28, 2014at4:40 am, Mike Rarick Jr. said:
Totally cool
May 28, 2014at4:24 am, Addalou Davis said:
One more payment and it’s all mine
May 28, 2014at3:47 am, Michael Marshall said:
I like it
May 27, 2014at9:21 pm, Joji Maunes said:
It look like scary
May 27, 2014at9:06 pm, Sandie Clifton said:
Now that would be down sizing
May 27, 2014at7:57 pm, Daniel Bitten said:
I could live there no prob…
May 27, 2014at4:37 pm, Kathy Lenneman said:
I love that old house, it must have been back in the Prairie days it looks like! Thanks again for your great pics keep them coming o where did this pic come from!?
May 27, 2014at4:19 pm, Chad Cooke said:
Looks like perfect size
May 27, 2014at1:52 pm, Regina Mealey said:
Beautiful
May 27, 2014at1:52 pm, Rosemary Bubb said:
Couldn’t do it.
May 27, 2014at1:44 pm, Kristina Midrenko said:
looks crappy
May 27, 2014at10:55 am, Elaine Seaborn-Ramos said:
Love it!!!
May 27, 2014at10:55 am, Ann Good said:
I want it !
May 27, 2014at10:23 am, Lynn Barrett said:
Fun article.
May 27, 2014at10:22 am, Grace Full said:
Nice ….i love this…i was born in d wrong era!! Lol..
May 27, 2014at10:12 am, Bev Hopper Dring said:
where????
May 27, 2014at9:41 am, Erwin Unger said:
Usually I don’t like foreground obstruction in a picture but in this case very effective! Great shot.
May 27, 2014at9:31 am, Michael Newman said:
A hundred years agor or so this was all a family expected.
May 27, 2014at7:59 am, William Scully said:
No paint perfect the way it is.
May 27, 2014at7:05 am, Lynn Brausen said:
If the walls could talk………..
May 27, 2014at12:22 pm, Gayle Fadden-Keffer said:
my thoughts exactly…..:-)
May 27, 2014at5:26 pm, Susan Wicks Mueller said:
The open air concept
May 27, 2014at6:09 pm, Lynn Brausen said:
I think that way with all these old places. what was the family like? were they happy?
May 27, 2014at6:46 am, Dawn Terhune-Notarpole said:
Great picture
May 27, 2014at4:08 am, Robert Neff said:
Little paint little fixin up and we have happy acres estate
May 27, 2014at3:31 am, Jessica Hart said:
I love it!! 🙂
May 27, 2014at1:40 am, John Burton said:
Nice place to live!
May 27, 2014at1:29 am, Cindy Mackelprang said:
Cool! Location?
May 27, 2014at1:24 am, James Fredericks said:
Nice tumbleweed!
May 27, 2014at1:23 am, Tami Ingraham said:
nice!
April 24, 2014at6:39 am, Lisa said:
Exactly captures the allure of the road!
August 31, 2013at11:52 pm, Sandra said:
Thanks for sharing..if you and your dog can do it I think my dog and I can. Smiles!
August 15, 2013at4:23 pm, Bill Sprague said:
One word comes to mind: Sweet!
Thanks,
Bill
August 15, 2013at2:39 pm, Cheryl said:
I love that you have to be organized in our wee houses. I know exactly where everything is located. In my brick house whatever I’m looking for could be in about 100 places!
August 15, 2013at1:11 pm, Neil said:
You know, I think you have that about perfect.
August 15, 2013at12:13 pm, Ann said:
I haven’t showered in our Roadtrek because I worry that the steam would be hard on the interior. Do you often shower in your van? I’ve been careful to overnight at places with showers like state or RV parks, or just go without.
August 15, 2013at12:02 pm, Lisa said:
You captured it perfectly, girlfriend!
August 15, 2013at11:52 am, Stu said:
Funny, entertaining and true , we all love our wee houses. Nothing like getting the hell out of Dodge.
August 15, 2013at11:20 am, Campskunk said:
now Laura, you are pulling my leg. you don’t look like the cow-chip-tossing sort at all. but i do like the housework reduction act of 2010, when we started fulltiming. i stand in front of the sink, make a slow circle while wiping surfaces and putting things away, and i’m done. it takes maybe a minute. the laundromat thing is a problem for me, though – we have a steady net loss of socks, with no gains.
August 15, 2013at3:28 pm, Dan said:
Oh, yes, she does!! 🙂
August 15, 2013at11:16 am, Laura HP said:
Love this! You are spot on in your comparisons and observations.
August 15, 2013at11:09 am, Maureen said:
I’m very envious Laura…you are living my dreams. The good thing….after a year of researching and being a member of this blog…I am about to start looking for my wee home (Lulu). I’ve even considered a soft ball (the kind that are stuffed into a bigger toy) to amuse my two pups if confined. Hope we meet on the road some time.
August 15, 2013at11:08 am, Rusti Trubon said:
Sounds like a big ole piece of heaven to me, just what I always dreamed of..I could do without the stix and brix house and just have the rv and travel all over this great country!