2017...looking back

[bob91yj]

I'm old, my doc says I'm fat, and my memory is fuzzy. I'm going to use a (*) to designate the fuzzy memory clause moving forward with my story. For those that don't know me, I prefer to never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

The highlights of the Green family 2017 as I remember them.

Feb, we spent a week at the King of the Hammers with the Dust Junky Racing crew, including a few newer members of the DJR crew, Brian, and Ken, Richard didn't make it out this year (or maybe he did, back to the fuzzy). Damnit I feel like I'm missing somebody (*).

I keep thinking we did a Bailey's Cabin run with a bunch from AAV at some point...I know we made the run, just not sure which year (*). It was a great time when ever it was...

June...Baja 500. C'mon, it's the Baja 500, of course we had a great time.

Sold our house to our son, bought a travel trailer to live in and became "permanent" campers (glampers, basura remolque, or some other random description)! We're "full timers" in our little community. Machelle and I are still enjoying the life style.

August...epic...the eclipse...we joined Garrett, his girlfriend, his twin brother, his other brother and his wife (you think that sounds weird, you should have seen them al crammed into a Jeep JK) for an incredible trip to Deadwood Reservoir in Idaho where we met up with Dan and Greg from this forum to witness "totality". Incredible, just incredible...the entire trip went right.

Mountain Rendezvous...what can I possibly add to the previous descriptions of a MRV event. The event is sold out in days, always a meeting with good times, good friends, and good food!

November...the Baja 1000...once again, how much better does it get...Baja, horse power, and good friends...all the way up until a slight miss step results in Machelle breaking her collar bone.

I'm sure I've missed a few people, places and trips, but that was our 2017 in a nutshell.

What were the highlights of yours?

 

[100acre]

Totality and wheeling all over Idaho Utah Colorado Wyoming and Washington in my Honda pioneer. saw more backcountry than ever would've just driving my truck. Fork! I had an amazing experience out there and meeting up with old friends and making lots of new ones. Wow I had some intense panoramic views. no words....finding 143-65 million year old Cretaceous dinosaur aged turtle teeth x2 in Colorado .soooo addicted to the west!

 

[bob91yj]

I'm envious of the SxS that you built. IMO it is a well thought out, functional build. Most importantly it does what YOU want it to do, not what the interweb wheelers THINK you need!

 

[woodienut]

2017...
I went back to California last spring, small error in judgment on my part (long story).

Blew that pop stand as soon as possible for home, Minnesota to visit family and old friends. Great trip across Nevada, Oregon, (except a broken window in the trailer in OR.) Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, (And same window AGAIN in CO!) Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and into Minnesota. Added solar panels/cover for the "WINDOW" when I arrived in Minnesota, Old Friends came through big time! Thanks to everyone!!

Ditto on the Baja 500 @bob91yj!!

My timing was good in a sad way...
Lost my Mother on Halloween night, she was 96, sharp as a tack up until the last two days and died peacefully with the entire family and all her friends gathered around.

The weather turned cold in Minnesota (in her honor no doubt) and I bolted after the funeral around Nov. 6th for the border.
Made it for Old Mexico after a nice trip down the the Mighty (muddy) Mississippi river on the old roads (don't miss Toad Lick, Arkansas).
Arriving at the border about three weeks earlier than last year, this time before Thanksgiving. Didn't bother heading for the beach this time, I went straight to Patzcuaro, Michoacan. Camped for 2/3 weeks while I looked for a house to rent. Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once-in-a-while. I'm very lucky to have found an amazing house on a famous cobblestone road to the top of the Mountain (Estribo Grande) that overlooks the Town/Lake/Valley!
See Photos...

Above the two tubes coming out the side (drains for the rooftop Patio) I have the view above! Not too shabby eh!
A nice safe place to park the trailer too.

Life is Good!
Feliz ano Nuevo Mi Amigos

 

[Mitch]

2017 Was an amazing year, for trips and places for Apryl and I, maybe not as many as we wanted.

I started my own wiring business, and very happy that I'm able to keep my bills paid while doing what I love.

@bob91yj, Bailey's was Dec 2016, close enough to count.

 

[Dave]

2017 was even better than 2016 and that’s saying a lot.

So many miles covered coast to coast, new places and new faces and above all lots of TIME spent with friends and family everywhere we’ve been.

A new home and a new job in a new state has had its ups and downs but it’s been a tremendous opportunity for both personal and family growth.

2017 was a great year, hard to imagine how 2018 could be better!

 

[WashingtonTaco]

Humbling to say the least... but learning all along.

Had an opportunity to train with the best in Moab back in May. Then about as close to serious injury or worse in September along the Owyhee river gorge.

Built out a 4Runner with and for my daughter to travel before her first real adult challenge of her adult life, Peace Corp deyloment to Namibia.

 

[woody]

Holy Chit Batman

 

[Doug]

Hmmm, 2017 was full of stress and not enough camping. My dad died in August of 2016 so the end of 2016 was a bit of a blur. 2017 was spent dealing with the impacts of Dad’s death, which was not unexpected, btw.

My mom tried to go it alone and it didn’t go well. We sold her house (x2) and bought a larger home with a double master. We moved her in then slowly moved ourselves in and put our house on the market. My (18 year old) daughter got married to her boyfriend of five years, since seventh grade. They moved in, too, into the casita, also on the property. Now our house has fallen out of escrow, missed a closing twice, first due to Christmas and now due to the New Year. If all goes well, it’ll finally close later this week. I got a new job and spent all of December in a weird transition time due to a contractual thirty day notice requirement. So now I’ll start a new job Tuesday and we can hopefully have a calmer 2018.

 

[Sean Slavin]

My condolences on your father. Hope everything turns around for you and yours this year.

2017 was rough for us too. We had some family deaths as well. My remaining grandparents both died within 6 months of each other. Day job had me on the road over 50%. I clocked in just over 130k air miles with domestic travel only. I am mentally lost, completely burned out and do not want to return to work next week.

My hope for this year is to spend more time outside. Camping, hiking, exploring, photographing. I'd like to run Kokopelli, the COBDR and visit OE in May. But, given my travel requirements, the kid's schedules and only 2 weeks of vacation, that might prove difficult. We'll see what I can fit in.

I'd also like to really get the studio rolling. Get consistent clients again. Working on things that I find interesting, enjoyable and most importantly, that I am good at doing.

 

[goin camping]

It has been my favorite year to date. Because I survived it.

In 10 of 16 I got hauled to the hospital and given two days to go. Fortunately the Dr.'s pulled it off and after three weeks there I went to the rehab hell hole to learn how to walk again. Two weeks there and it was home for meds and rest. In April they shipped me off to the City of Hope and three more weeks of chemo and other forms of torture. and they sent me home.

Bad news is all the cancer and meds deformed my back and my feet went numb.
Good news is that even though they cannot cure the cancer it is in remission and I get a cool blue placard that lets me park almost anywhere.

Don't care. I am alive and improved enough to go camping several times and will go again.

Life is not a given folks. Make the best of it.

 

[Kevin LaCroix]

The end of 2017 makes the end of almost 2 1/2 years of medical misery for my family. My father and Mother both diagnose with cancer at the end of 2015, my father dying 8 months later, my mother now in the end stage of her life. My wife have two major spinal fusions, C3-T2 and T10-S1(still recovering from this one), my very severe ankle sprain requiring two surgeries to stabilize and 6 months of doing nothing to very little, putting one of out dogs down due to a tumor.

The good things in the time, my family is closer than ever, two expos with some combination of son and eldest daughter, 8 days solo on the Colorado BDR, with dogs. Camping a couple of time with my wife, in our trailer. My son and I went camping to the Badlands, Montana, Yellowstone Nation Park. We had 95 deg. down to 29 Deg, Smoke, sun, heat, dust, rain, snow and a great time. I can exercise as my ankle is as healed as it will be.

2018 is looking better. While crude, I have said to my children, and often to myself, shit happens, just wipe and get off the pot. The New Mexico BDR is penciled in. A little boondocking with my wife. Most of all regaining my health and making me a priority.

 

[jscusmcvet]

Good year for us. Work has gone well, started on a new project that has consumed a bunch of my limited brain power and all of the limited patience I have for internal politics in a large organization.
At home we have improved our level of self sufficiency with our kitchen woodstove install, increased water storage, built a game and livestock processing area and some garden improvements. We also were able to upgrade our tractor... a necessity I think if we are going to stay here.
For our camping we made a move to a jeepless lifestyle for the first time in a couple decades as I moved to my Tundra. Still happy with that move. We also sold our pop up and teardrop and bought our Northstar mc600 slide in camper. Sale of the jeep and campers paid for the Tundra, Northstar and the tractor... So even Ann the CFO was happy about it.
Family has been great. Jonah left for USAF in January and just graduated from SERE Specialist training. Over the 10 months of that pipeline they dropped from 138 in selection to 17 at graduation. 88% attrition. I am proud of him. He also got engaged over Christmas to a remarkable young lady who some of you met at ARV 2016. My Daughter Maegan signed a contract for her first house and is pregnant with my first grandchild. Joe is a 2nd grader and doing well.
Ann has not kicked me out yet. She has kicked me a bunch, but not out.... whew!
For 2018 we'd like to see a healthy grandchild and I would like to get my fat ass back into gear running and whatever.

 

[Scott B.]

2017 was a good year for us.

The big highlight of the year was DE VII, our seventh annual trip west. Unfortunately, my Dad was not able to join us this year (the main reason I started these annual trips). We went to South Dakota and Montana, and drove through Yellowstone NP on the way home. (Trip report for those interested: https://americanadventurist.com/forum/threads/de-vii-big-skies-trip-report.5120/) The best part of this trip was exploring where so much happened during the growth of this country. From Lewis and Clark, Custer and the Indians, the Nez Perce Indians, to the missile silos of the Cold War. Did you know there was mineral mining in Montana? I did not. And with mining comes ghost towns. Some of what we found was expected - some was not. (We also listened to the book Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose - the story of Lewis and Clark. Great read, and fit in with our trip.)

The big personal highlight was landing a new job opportunity in my same career path. I left my un-enjoyable, no-growth position in Atlanta and joined NASA. Working at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, I am working on flight software for the SLS rocket - NASA's new Space Launch System. I have been following the space program since I was kid (grew up in Huntsville, Dad worked on the Apollo program) so being back here is lifelong dream. I am not sure why it took me long to get here, but here I am. Oh, and back in the day, my Dad worked in the same building I am working in.

2018 will involve selling a house, buying a house, moving and commuting. Not difficult things. Our trip this year, DE VIII, will be a south to north trek through the Owens Valley in California. My Dad will be joining us this year.

Here's to a great 2018! Hope to see "the regulars" at Appalachian Rendezvous!