Snowbirds

Snowbird is a term used for those in the northern US states and Canadian provinces spending most of the winter in the southern US states.  While my husband and I own vacation property in the sunny south we are not the typical snowbird because we only go down three times a year for 2 to 5 weeks at a time.  It's not that we couldn't stay longer, we choose not to and my husband isn't ready to fully retire anyway.  We are homebodies enjoying being at home entertaining our family and friends especially during the holiday season.

What is really nice about our vacation home is it is pretty much the same colour schemes as our new home - taupes, moss green, browns and burgundy.  I think the only real difference is our couch set here (permanent home) is navy blue but that works with all those colours too.  So anything I bring to the vacation home from here automatically matches. 

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Vacation Home Lanai (Sunporch)

Lanai

May 24, 2010

There is a lanai (sunporch) on the front of our vacation home.  I'm not sure why it is called a lanai but lanai is the Hawaiian term for sunporch or verranda so likely lanai sounds a bit more tropical.  We are not new to sunporches as the turn of the century home we renovated had a small all season sunporch on the main level and this house has a 3 season sunporch spanning the width of the house on the upper level.  The house we are planning on moving to if we sell this house also has a large 3 season sunporch. 

Sunporches are usually designed as all season or 3 season with most 3 season being convertable to all season by installing windows in front of the screens and providing some type of heat.  They are light, bright and airy shielding from the heat of the sun but with lots of light for growing a multitude of plants.  Screening keeps them for the most part pest free but insects can and do get inside unless they are well sealed.  In northern regions such as our permanent home in Ontario, Canada a sunporch can double as a heat sink in the wintertime.  As the sunporch warms on sunny days it can heat up enough to provide passive solar heating for your home.

The vacation home lanai is off of the kitchen with the only entrance being through the kitchen.  This is the one room where we will be doing the most work.  The previous owner left an artificial fig tree, a small plant stand and a patio set.  The chairs were in such rough shape we discarded them.  The new chairs are black while the table is a faded olive green that I will likely paint black during our next trip.  There was indoor/outdoor carpeting on the cement pad.  We pulled it up simply because we thought it looked awful and since we only have screens both rain and dust can get it making the carpet a horrid dirt trap.  We had the inside of the lanai power washed when the outside of the house was done.  Since we are not there all the time I will keep the plants to artificial ones that can be brought in while we are gone.  Any decorations will also be brought in as we already had a taste of how violent some storms can be there.  Here's what we have planned for the lanai so watch for all these projects as we get to them:

• install ceiling fan
• paint floor
• install windows to make it all season
• install window treatment to shade afternoon sun
• basic, low maintenance decorating

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Coming Down From Vacation Mode

My gosh!  We have been home almost a week and I still am in vacation mode even though we did a massive amount of garage clean-up on the weekend.  The weather is hot and humid but with the house still up for sale we have to keep on top of things.  We made the executive decision to reduce the price of our house in the hopes of getting out of limbo mode as to whether we are moving or not.  In the meantime we keep plugging along a normal as possible the best we can.  The gardens are going in and we're focusing on the outside that needs the power washer to make the windows and trim sparkle.  We have our own power washer so won't be hiring this job out.  My husband is fixing our natural gas outdoor grill and I'm looking for a few summer projects to work on once planting is finished.  So watch for all of those homemaking tips, projects and repairs coming up in the next couple of weeks.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Closing Up a Vacation Home

Vacation homes are generally used on a temporary basis regardless whether they are mobile (eg. RV, trailer) or permanent (eg. cottage).  At some point closing up a vacation home for periods of non-use becomes important.  In both cases the care and attention to detail that you take when closing up your vacation home will lessen the chance of problems while the home is closed up and lessen the work involved in opening it up for the next use.  There is some overlap as to chores so I will start of with those chores that are needed for both mobile and permanent followed by those specific to each.

Mobile and Permanent Vacation Homes

• do a good general cleaning
• check for and seal any possible entry spots for rodents and insects
• remove any food that will spoil or expire before your next use
• clean out the refrigerator, turn it off and prop the door(s) open to prevent mould and mildew
• do any necessary laundry making sure there is no damp laundry that could mould or attract moisture loving insects
• secure all windows
• close all blinds and window coverings to prevent sun damage 
• secure all doors

Mobile Vacation Homes

• empty and flush grey and black water tanks then add RV anti-freeze
• leave faucets open
• pour holding tank deodorizer into the tank
• if storing for winter remove any batteries and store where they won't freeze
• turn off propane tanks and bleed the lines then turn off any controls
• seal any outside ports (eg. electrical, water) and vents with heavy plastic secured with tape
• place a couple of rodent baits and ant traps in the unit as a bit of insurance

Permanent Vacation Homes

• discontinue any unnecessary services (eg. newspaper) depending on length of time the house will be empty; internet and cable can be left on if the house will be empty for under a month otherwise turn them off
• forward any mail to your permanent address
• close up any chimneys or fireplaces
• turn off the water
• turn off the AC unless in a location where it is necessary to leave it on, if so turn it up to 85ºF where it will serve to keep moisture out of the home
• take in any outdoor ornaments
• bring in patio chairs and secure the table or bring it in
• notify at least one of your neighbours leaving contact information and a key in case of emergency

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Our Vacation Home

Our Vacation Home

May 19, 2010

The last few posts have been focused on vacation homes.  Regardless whether your vacation home is mobile (eg. RV, boat) or permanent (eg. cottage) making it a home away from home is very important.  Pictured is our new vacation home.  It is a 3 year old manufactured home in southern USA in a gated, park-like setting with a lot of very nice amenities including community activities and proximity to entertainment, shopping and restaurants.  The house was purchased based on the pictures and specific location so until our recent trip we had not actually seen what we had bought.  The house has 2 bedrooms, a den that could double as a third bedrooms, 2 baths, utility/laundry room, kitchen, family room and lanai (screened in porch).  There is a small attached shed as well.  The current gardens wrap around the house and are already planted so all we have to do is add our own personal touches.  We own the house but not the land however we are allowed to add landscaping such as trees and small garden beds as we choose.  The only stipulation by the HOA is the area be kept neat and tidy.  They cut and trim the yards so we don't have to worry about that.  There is a programmable sprinkler system to ensure that the gardens stay nice looking.  We are allowed to water on Monday's (county restriction) and garbage is collected Tuesdays and Fridays.  There are bins at the clubhouse for newspaper and aluminum can recycling but nothing for glass or plastic containers.

When we arrived we were immediately impressed over the condition of the house.  It had been sitting empty for about a year and a half so needed interior and exterior cleaning.  Surprisingly some furniture was included - dinette set, patio set, queen size bed, dresser, 2 night stands, couch, chair, automan, television and stand.  The kitchen appliances are Maytag - refrigerator, stove, microwave oven, dishwasher.  The refrigerator needed a really good cleaning as it had been turned off then shut but despite our fears of having to replace it we were able to restore it to norm.  The stove and microwave oven needed cleaning and a small chip repair for the stove.  The dishwasher appears to be missing a part so we will have that checked our next trip.  There is a garburator that will be handy since composting is not going to be much of an option for us.  We had the exterior pressure washed and the carpets steam cleaned while we were there.  We also did a lot of the basic stocking such as towels, kitchenware, and that type of thing.  Surprisingly this took a fair amount of effort as you really don't realize just how many basics you really do need and how much shopping is necessary to round up just the basics.  We bought another queen size matress and box springs for the master bedroom, a desk for the den and four replacement chairs for the patio set as those left behind were beyond salvaging.  Our next trip will focus on a few decorative elements and furnishings as well as the dishwasher repair and finding a washer and dryer.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Setting Up a Vacation Home (7) - Dealing With an HOA

Depending on the location of your vacation house you may have a home owners association (HOA) or similar.  These are commonly found in retirement communities where you own the building but not the land and in seasonal trailer parks.  In both of these cases there will be rules and regulations that you must follow.  The rules and regulations are to ensure the safety of everyone in the community as well as keep the community at a certain standard while protecting your investment.  Even though you own the building there may be some things that you will not be allowed to do to it.   

We have camped at many national, provincial, state parks as well as a private park or two.  All of them have rules of conduct mainly to control noise and prevent problems such as wild life getting into garbage left around the campsite.  The key rule at any national or provincial park is if a yoggie (park ranger) can hear you off of your campsite you are being too loud.  In addition to that there are provisions that if you are too loud or your campsite is not kept clean and tidy you can be evicted from the park.  Keeping the campsite clean and tidy is actually a safety issue.  Garbage attracts skunks, raccoons, rodents (eg. chipmunks, mice)  and bears all of which can cause personal harm directly (eg. attack) or indirectly (eg. disease). 


Our current vacation home is in a gated community with an HOA.  This is an ideal set-up for our purpose.  The front gate has to be notified of any visitors, delivery persons or workers coming to our home prior to their arrival.  While some would see this as restrictive it is meant for the protection and safety of all residents here and is no different than the requirements for national, provincial and private parks where visitors must register (including telling them who you are visiting) with the office before they can enter the park.   The HOA determines the level of garden upkeep which is basically keep it neat and tidy and gardens are encouraged around each house for aesthetics.  Mulch and personal touches such as garden decorations and flowers are encouraged.  They cut and trim all the yards.  The HOA will tell you to pressure wash the exterior if it gets noticeable moss or mould growing but most here pressure wash at least annually to protect their investment so this is not a real concern.  They will say something if let garbage pile up or water when you aren't supposed to but other than that they work rather quietly in the background.  What we really like is if we decide to rent our house out there is property management team to do all the necessary checks including a credit check for any potential tenant and take care of collecting the rent as well as ensuring the tenant does no damage to our house.  The nice part is our vacation house is always being watched even when we aren't here so that gives us a nice piece of mind.


If you follow the rules of the HOA or similar there will be no problems.  We have never had a problem at any of the national, provincial, state or private parks we've stayed at.  We've also have had no problems here.  If your vacation home is not in a location where there is an HOA or park rules then the next best thing is to get to know your neighbours well.  They will keep an eye on your house while you aren't there.  If your vacation house is in cottage country where everyone closes up about the same time each fall leaving many homes in the area empty for the winter see if you can find someone in the closest town that will check your house from time to time.  


Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Setting Up a Vacation Home (6) - Opening a Vacation Home

Regardless whether your vacation home is mobile (eg. RV, trailer) or permanent (eg. trailer park, cottage) it will need to be opened up for the season that you will be using it.  In some cases as with cottages you may be using it once or twice a year then renting it out for the rest of the season or you may be using it several times a year yourself.  The opening chores will be dependent on whether the vacation home is mobile or permanent.  Always plan on the first trip as being a working vacation.

Mobile Vacation Homes (eg. RV, trailer)

Mobile vacation homes have all the opening chores such as spring cleaning, checking appliances and lighting, and stocking with whatever non-perishable foods that can safely stay in the unit when not in use as a permanent vacation house has.  However, mobile units will need to be checked for travel safety issues such as tires, brakes, working signal lights, working clearance lights, and if the mobile unit has an engine all the fluids as well as the engine should be checked prior to the first trip out.  The propane tanks may need to be checked and filled.  All appliances should be fired up prior to the first trip to be sure they are working properly.  Replenish any necessary repair items (eg. fan belt, light bulb) prior to your first trip.  Check any holding tanks to be sure there is no leakage.  Add fresh black water holding tank deodorizer.  Check all window and door screens.  Open and clean any awnings.  Finally do a trial hook-up or start-up to ensure everything is working properly before heading out for your first trip.

Permanent Vacation Houses (eg. trailer park, cottages)

Opening a permanent vacation home will depend on how long it was closed up and how it was closed up.  In most cases little more than a good cleaning will be needed inside.  If utilities are turned off for the time the house is closed up arrange to have them turned on the day you arrive or a couple of days before providing you can arrange for someone to be there when they are turned on.  If there is a hot water tank it will need to be fired up.  Once the water is turned on flush the lines for a good 10 minutes.  If water was sitting in toilets there will more than likely be mould to clean-up.  Water should never be left in toilets where freezing is a problem.  The refrigerator will need the interior compartments washed then it can be turned on.  Check all window and door screens as well as locks.  Use a bit of graphite in the locks to ensure they operate properly.  The exterior of the house should be checked for any necessary repairs.  The exterior may need pressure washing as well.  Any gardens will need to be weeded, planted if necessary and the mulch topped up.  The yard will need to be groomed as well if that isn't included as part of your vacation house.  Outdoor furniture will need to be cleaned and set out.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Setting Up a Vacation Home (5) - Stocking Up

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A permanent vacation home serves as a home away from home.  It helps alleviate the costs of going on vacation while providing you with a temporary home base.  A home base helps reduce food costs because you can make a lot of meals from home rather than eating out all of the time.  It also saves on the costs of motel rentals.  The caveat being the vacation home is located in an area you will enjoy vacationing in for a number of years with the possibility of earning a rental income from the property making the cost of acquisition and set-up the frugal choice.  With that in mind the vacation home really needs to be set-up much the same as your permanent home.  That means all of the things you would normally need at home you will need at your vacation home.  Essentially you are setting up a second home complete with all those things you are used to using at home.  Setting up your vacation home in this fashion makes it easier to rent out as well.

We have spent the last several days setting up our vacation home that we intend to rent out during the times we are not using it.  The vacation home surprisingly came with a few basic pieces of furniture however that is not the norm although in some areas you can buy a fully furnished vacation home.  We had to do a fair amount of shopping for just the basics.  Expect to pay about $1,700 to $2,000 for just the basics if the house is empty or close to being empty when you buy it.  If your vacation home is close enough to your permanent home then definitely take what you don't need at home each trip to help reduce the costs of stocking the vacation home.  Here are some of the resources we relied on:

• department stores (eg. Wal-Mart, Home Depot) - Department stores are great for small appliances, towels, tools, kitchenware.  A large box store will likely have the lowest prices for any landscaping needs as well as home maintenance you may need.
• dollar stores - Find a dollar store where all the items are $1 not one where they vary in price.  A surprising number of household items can be bought from the dollar store ranging from garbage bags to glassware to kitchen extras and so much more.
• warehouse stores (eg. Sam's Club) - The cheapest prices for things like CFL bulb and cutlery can be found at warehouse stores.  These types of stores are also great for stocking up on any food basics if you will be maintaining a well stocked pantry at the vacation house (more on this in the next post).
• discount/liquidation stores (eg. Big Lots) - These types of stores are really great for knock-down furniture and decorative elements.
• resale/consignment shops -   You can save a lot of money by buying at these types of shops however you have to be prepared.  Many do not deliver meaning your have to get your purchases home.  From experience a queen sized mattress and boxspring will ride securely on top of a rental van and some furniture will fit inside nicely but unless you rent a truck you will be restricted as to what furniture you can cart home.  You also need to consider that once at your vacation home you may need help getting furniture from your van or truck into your house that depending on the location is not quite as easy as you think.  

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Setting Up a Vacation Home (4) - The Essentials

There are a few essentials with setting up a vacation home.  They will differ depending on whether you are mobile or permanent.  From experience the following may apply for your vacation home whether mobile or permanent:

• insurance - This is a must have for either mobile or permanent vacation homes.  Go through an insurance company specializing in this type of coverage and make sure your investment is covered.
• license - This basically applies to mobile units and manufactured homes.  Traditionally built cottages will not have a license.
• lot rental/lease - Both mobile and permanent vacation homes can have a lot rental or lease charge depending on location.  Essentially you own the house itself but the land is either rented or leased.  
• utility connections -  Utility connections may or may not be included with lot rental for mobile units.  In general you pay more for utilities in mobile/provential/national parks and some may not offer utility hook-ups.  Parks specializing in seasonal lots where you park a mobile unit for the season and normal vacation homes (cottages, etc) will normally have utility connections for a fee.  In permanent locations getting the utilities connected is the same as getting utilities connect to a regular house.  You may or may not need a deposit and you will need to arrange to have someone there when the utilities are being turned on.  For permanent vacation homes the utilities may offer an option to have them turned off for an extended period when the home is closed up.  This is especially useful for internet and phone BUT not necessarily helpful for hydro or gas.  In northern Ontario you may need to keep a low level of heat on to prevent pipes from freezing or turn the water off entirely and drains the lines if pumping from a local lake.  In the southern States and Caribbean countries it is necessary to leave the AC on to prevent humidity damage, specifically moulding problems.
• basic maintenance -  The problem with permanent vacation homes such as cottages is they are going to be closed up for extended periods of time.  There-in lies the problem.  In a normal house you are able to catch minor problems before they become major problems.  When a house is closed up for any period of time insects, rodents, humidity, snow/ice and moisture can all cause problems and get out of hand during the time the house is closed up.  The real trick is to anticipate any of these problems then take preventative measure before they become a problem.  In addition to the basic DIY maintenance you may have to have certain hired out maintenance work performed in your absence.  You will need a list of trusted maintenance workers to do this work as well as a trusted neighbour with the key to your vacation home.
• contact information - Your neighbours need your home contact information so they can get a hold of you in the event of an emergency.  At least one trusted neighbour should have a key to your vacation home so they can enter in the case of an emergency.  At the same time you need to have their information and make sure you keep in touch during any periods that your vacation home is not occupied.  

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Setting Up a Vacation Home (3) - More Basics

Location and mode of transportation are going to greatly influence what you can and can't take from home with respect to furnishings and supplies.  If the vacation home is located in a remote area or in seasonal area such as Grand Bend, ON, then getting supplies won't be difficult during the peak season but off season it will be questionable.  If your vacation home is located further north say around  Huntsville, ON and further north you really do need to take a lot of supplies with you.  If you are traveling by personal vehicle taking a lot of extra supplies works nicely.  However, for this vacation home we have the choice of driving or flying.  Flying then renting a vehicle works out to pretty much the same cost as driving but saves us a good day and a half in travel time.  On a shorter visit flying is the better choice but means there is a lot less we can bring with us.

We have several friends who have cottages in the northern areas of Ontario.  My husband stays at one for a week each year.  They seriously take everything they will need for that trip.  The only real option is to bring items such as food, bedding, furniture, kitchenware and just about everything else usually via a utility trailer hitched to their vehicle.  Occasionally in that area you may find used furniture for sale and in most cases buying a cottage there will include household contents but not always.  A grocery store may be within 40 miles but will have limited offerings and higher prices than you are used to in your regular grocery stores.  Still there is only so much you can bring with you so at some point you will need to shop at one of these smaller grocery stores.  In the northern areas fast food is likely going to be close to non-existence but this is a great opportunity to find little family run restaurants specializing in home cooked meals.

Our vacation home is located in the southern US.  A utility trailer hitched to the vehicle is not an option given the make of our vehicle as well as border issues.  Packing the vehicle with items to bring down works providing they are not food items not allowed by US Customs.  We will be using this method from time to time but reality dictates it is a bit more frugal to buy what we need locally when here.  Flying out presents a whole new problem because there are restrictions as to what you can bring.  By far the easiest solution is to buy what you need to stock the house when you arrive.  Unless it is a product that you can't get in the country where your vacation home is, buy what you need there.  If you are bringing in any product from Canada to a foreign country including the US make sure it allowed first.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Setting Up a Vacation Home (2) - The Basics

We have had some type of vacation home since our kids were young.  It all started with camping then escalated from tents to a large travel trailer.  So we basically took our home with us.  We've now moved on to a permanent as in not mobile vacation home.  Over the years we have learned there are basics to setting up any vacation home.  First off there are a few basics to consider:

• rental or owned - Renting a vacation home generally means a lot less set-up so all you have to do is take the basics for the period of time you will be there.  Leave the place clean then lock-up when you are finished.  If you own the vacation home as we do there is a lot more involved.
• temporary/seasonal/permanent - The time frame makes a huge difference.  Each has their own specific considerations.  For example if the vacation home is temporary as a campsite the prep is different than renting a seasonal campsite lot.  Permanent as ours is results in more things to consider such as ongoing insect control and local weather patterns.
• amenities - A mobile vacation home is great in that if you don't like the amenities at one location you can move to another one that provides what you want.   A permanent location is a bit more challenging.  In general you will want easy access to a grocery store and laundromat at the very least for mobile  vacation homes along with portable water and restroom facilities.  When it comes to permanent vacation homes you really do need to consider neighbours as well as access to grocery store and possibly laundry facilities.  In all locations, emergency health care must be a consideration.  Lack of amenities will mean more planning on your part.  If electricity is not available in a permanent location such as a cottage up north then you may need to consider a solar system if one is not already installed.  If amenities such as a grocery and hardware store are some distance from your vacation home that is another thing to consider.
• purpose - When we bought our large, self-contained travel trailer it was for personal use only with no intentions of renting it out.  Mobil units present a host of rental nightmares that are best left alone.  However, permanent vacation homes such as this one present the option of renting it out for parts of the year you won't be using it.  The question becomes whether to restrict the rental to family and friends only or open it up to anyone who meets your rental requirements.  There are pros and cons for both types of set-ups.  Once you have decided on the purpose you need to establish firm rental guidelines if renting it out or usage guidelines if letting friends or family use it.  

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Setting Up a Vacation Home (1)

Over the past week or so I have had the great pleasure of setting up our vacation home. The two assets that assisted me on this endeavour were frugality and experience.  We started with a somewhat empty, in need of cleaning vacation home that was partially furnished with all appliances except washer and dryer when we bought it.  Trust me we were grateful for ever piece of furniture and appliances that came with the house!  Now picture this a nice kitchen with nothing other than large appliances.  Do you have any idea as to how much is needed to get a kitchen going?  It seriously was mind boggling and that is where both frugality and experience comes into play.  The next few posts will give a few tips on setting up a vacation home to make it feel like a home not just a pit stop.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

On Vacation

Dear Readers, when we go on vacation you are used to seeing the "'puter on vacation" image. This time I decided to do two things differently. Thanks to Blogger's new scheduling option, I've worked quite hard to give you a few scheduled posts here and on my other blogs for reading during my absence. That means I created these posts before leaving but have each scheduled to go online on different dates. By the time you read this post, we will be well on our way. I hope you enjoy them. The second difference is as a new owner of an iPod Touch I will be able to stay in touch with blog comments, emails and may even make a blog post while away. Although I won't be online much, this will be a nice change for when I want a little personal down time. The iPod Touch will be a lot easier to travel with than the laptop as well.

Garden Gnome
© 2007

conserving our resources

Garden Path
Cypress House
January 16, 2008

I apologize for not making an entry sooner. Somehow with respect to homemaking aspects I had a serious case of writer's block. It's not like I didn't have ideas, I just couldn't get them to come out right in writing. So winter preparations gave way to Christmas then we were off on our winter vacation. Energy conservation is weighing heavily on my mind as so it was while on vacation so I thought I would share some of my observations and our recent changes.

We vacationed at Cypress House in Key West, Florida for part of our vacation then rented a condo at Hallandale, Florida for the remainder. There seemed to be a huge difference in terms of energy conservation. There were no CFL bulbs at Cypress House in the rooms however there was a friendly tag asking us to conserve electricity by turning it off when not in the room and there were recycling bins. They also asked that we be conservative in our use of water and re-use towels if at all possible. Walking around the area of Cypress House and Duval Street seemed dark compared to what we are used to in even smaller towns. There were street lights but the streets themselves appeared to be quite dark. Even Duval Street is not bright and glittering but more of a quiet ambiance. One reason for this is electricity is expensive and water resources are being stretched. In a region surrounded by a lot of water, water is becoming precious. This should serve as a warning to all. On our way to the Fort Lauderdale area we stopped at my husband's aunt and uncle's home on No Name Key.

Their house is beautifully located, looking very much like a home one might find in a subdivision except this house is very different. It is 100% solar and let me tell you I am in awe! Not only that under the large covered porch entrance was their water storage. This space had to be a good 10' x 10' x10' for water storage alone. Both just absolutely amazed me. Here they supplied their own electricity and water subsidizing only a bit of heat by propane as needed. So of course I looked for energy efficient appliances, CFLs and other signs of saving. Aside of using a laptop as the primary computer there were none! The washer and dryer were old (>15 yrs old) models and the fridge was a normal likely older than 10 years old. I saw no CFL bulbs but only one television instead of more. I didn't see a dishwasher or chest freezer either. What they would save in freezer costs would more than be made up in traveling to a grocery store and in fact it would likely be more expensive factoring in the traveling.

Onward to the condo in Hallandale. The condo was on the 14th floor overlooking the ocean with a view of the intercostal waters. All cars were valet parked. Each floor had a laundry room with energy efficient washer and dryers. That is where it ended. There were no recycle bins anywhere. This was a one bedroom condo with two baths. The main bath drove me completely nuts because when you turned on the lights three 150 W flood lights blared down but if you turn on both switches five of these flood lights would light up. That's 600 W total for one rather small room just for lighting! None of the appliances (all GE) were EnergyStar rated. Now this doesn't see like a real problem for one unit but given that in this building alone we caluculated there were 300 units not factoring in the common areas. This one building is a huge source of energy wastage! Now times that by the number of buildings just like this one we could easily see and that amount would increase almost by 10x. See where I'm going here? As a single family homeowner (single family) we are encouraged to save as much as possible yet a unit that could easily sit on our property with perhaps a bit of our neighbour's yet instead of an impact of two families could have an impact of 300 families and there is no incentive for those 300 families to conserve at all? It's this kind of thing that does really bother me. Conserving seems to be left up to the little guy with multi-family units and industry doing little to conserve.

Yesterday our Smart meter was installed. When fully functional we will be paying for electricity according to time of use (TOS). For the time being until the new rates become effective (yet to be announced) we are still paying the winter rate of 5 cents per kWh but when you factor in the service charges the real rate is about 11 cents per kWh. The new rates will be 3.4 cents per kWh off-peak, 7.1 cents per kWh mid-peak and 9.7 cents per kWh on-peak hours. One thing is for certain, the little guy who takes the measures to conserve will be taken advantage of by the mult-family units and industry. Mark my work on this one. While I am a bit bitter that those who use more electricity continue to do so without any seeming measures of conservation, I for one will continue to conserve and move towards the time we can move off the electrical grid.

Garden Gnome
© 2007

January 14 - 24, 2007

Garden Gnome
© 2007

Vacation Planning

Golden Nugget
Las Vegas, Nevada

As you know, we've been on our winter vacation. We arrived home yesterday morning at about 8 am. Like many of our vacations, this one went off without a hitch. The only reason for this is excellent vacation planning and that is something that must be done in advance if you want a smooth ride. Don't underestimate the importance of planning your vacation!

We grappled with the destination because originally we were to go to Caribbean. So knowing that we went for our passports in early November. The procedure was rather pain free and since we figured the writing is on the wall to needing them to get into the United States, what the heck. So planning for our vacation actually started in early November. By mid November my husband, the vacation planning guru, had more information than we would ever need and by the second last week of November we were ready to book the vacation. However, we decided to wait until the passports arrived and it was a good thing as the couple we were going with had a family emergency and couldn't go. We decided on the spurr of the moment to join another couple in Las Vegas, our number one tourist destination. But by now you are likely wondering where the planning came in. Thankfully, my husband took over!

Within a week, my husband had booked our flight to Las Vegas on Spirit Airlines, picked up two copies of the 2007 American Casino Guide, rented our vehicle from Alamo, talked to our casino host and booked our room at the Golden Nugget for reduced room rates. With the big rocks out of the way, he turned his attention to the stones. This is directly from Stephen R. Covey's principles but he would never admit it. The first rule of thumb when vacation planning is to plan the big things, those things that are absolutely necessary. Thankfully the internet really helps to get these things in place all from the comfort of your home.

Now came the stones. These are the things you would really like to experience and for some will form an itinerary. For this trip we knew we wanted to enjoy time with our friends, take in one show, The Rat Pack is Back, and do some sightseeing. So those things were semi-planned but no schedule was made. In some cases, a schedule is necessary especially for those events that may not be repeated but for our vacation that wasn't necessary. Our choice of restaurants was semi-decided but only because we have been to the area so many times and because the vast majority of our meals are comped anyway. Again with the stones the internet is an amazing tool. Be sure to check for discounts and coupons for any of these types of events.

Next came the sand. These were events and spurr of the moment things. There was no need to plan at all but these were things that if and when we had time and could work in would be nice to do. This included things like a little shopping or picking up souvenirs. Be sure to check for online offers and discounts even for the little things.

From there you can add the water if you want. Be warned that these are little things that can really add up in time and drain you of a lot of energy if you go about them the wrong way especially if they add to sensory overload. If your vacation is longer than a week go easy on these types of activities or change them to activities that involve quiet time and relaxation. For example, my husband and I took a bit of time to sit quietly by the pool at the Golden Nugget to soak in a little sun and enjoy the shark tank. It was a much needed break from the noise and glitter of the casinos. Quite often when we are staying in Las Vegas we stay in the downtown core so I will do a quick power walk on Fremont Street before breakfast and often will do one or more power walks when the noise and glitz gets to me. Other times I will sit for 15 minutes simply people watching. Both activities give my mind a break. So think of the water as those activities that enhance your vacation experience, rejuvenate your spirit and cost nothing.

Ok so as far as actual vacation planning, you have a good idea of how we do just about every trip. But there is more to a vacation than just the planning. Once you are there and even on the way the camera comes out. It really helps if you are into scrapbooking or even just wanting a brief pictorial of your vacation to keep some type of journal. For this trip I used my PDA, folding keyboard, MiniWord and my trademark notepad. The doc files can easily be uploaded to the desktop. Other times I use the laptop and quite often a simple small notepad with pen. It is nice to note the little things about a picture like why you took it in the first place. I took about 300 pictures this trip most of which have little annotations for when I make the DVDs and scrapbooking. It just reallys adds a lot to your memories. A journal is also nice for making notes of expenses or other tidbits.

Now for a word on clothing and shoes, KISS! Seriously, I've seen so many people who's feet are obviously hurting. They cannot be enjoying themselves when they hurt. I took one pair of black semi-dress shoes that were well broke in along with my AirWalk sandles and Minnetonka ankle highs. Everything I brough to wear was geared towards those black shoes. After the first day my left foot pad was so irritated we went out and bought a pair of black track shoes. Problem solved but it goes without saying that even well broke in shoes can cause a problem in different environments. My choice on clothes would be my nice flannel pj's but that isn't quite acceptable in public so I like to take a couple pairs of jeans, wrinkle proof dress pants, dressier type shirts, a couple of blazzars and a dress or two. For this trip I focused on suedes as well. They travel relatively well. With mixing and matching it is rather easy to be well dressed for any event. Go for that wrinkle free if possible. Even though most motels have irons in the room, the last think I feel like doing on vacation is ironing clothes!

Last but not least make sure you have all medications you will need. You may not be able to buy equilivalents of over the counter drugs at your destination so take what you normally would use in their original containers. Always take additional prescription medications with you divided into two lots, one kept on your person and the other either on your carry-on or checked baggage or vehicle if not exposed to extreme weather conditions. It also is a good idea if you wear contact lenses or glasses to carry a spare pair along with your prescription just in case.

Enjoy your next vacation!

Garden Gnome
© 2007