As most of you know, the MuthaShip was traded in on a motorhome more suitable for Sue to drive and maintain. My new vehicle is an '04 Four Winds Magestic and I think of it as the "SistaDinghy". It is 25 ft long and will transport Cassie and me in basic comfort. Prior to departure, however, there were many modifications-inside and outside-that needed to made for convenience and comfort.

Most importantly, summer travel requires serious sun/heat control, so all windows were outfitted with reflective coverings.

Second, the useless dinette had to "go" and this area, which is also a functional area housing electrical wiring and furnace, was converted into a couch. I used the existing dinette cushions for the base of the couch and custom-fit a quilted cover over the sections. Then I purchased foam which was custom cut and -covered in fabric. (Everything in an RV is "custom" and needs to be hand or machine-sewn) I sewed a set of matching pillows and a new set of curtains to complete the space.

In a cubby under the couch, my handyman, Steve, fashioned a retaining door to house Cassie while we are moving. He put her name on the door "Cassie's Palace".

Third, there was NO TV and no space designed for one! So, Steve unbolted the club chair removed it and reinstalled/rebolted a corner TV cabinet. The cabinet houses my 13"TV, the digital converter, the DVD, my rollabout computer bag and miscellanous stuff.

The last final "big" thing was removal of the existing queen innerspring mattress which was old and uncomfortable. This was replaced by a foam mattress and topper (overstock.com) which I cut to fit the odd angled bed shape and then I custom-fit the bedding.

I also re-worked was the bathroom which needed a complete overhaul to provide for some towel storage and hanging space, also some cosmetic attention.

Outside, the water and sewer connections were greatly improved with the addition of an extra bumper nestled adjacent to the original vehicle bumper to store sewer hose. A fresh water hose reel was anchored inside a compartment to handle the connection of the fresh water hose to faucet.

Due to the unique construction of this type of motorhome, there is almost NO exterior storage available! So, I bought a HitchHaul cargo tray which I got off craigslist.org , and found a heavy-duty waterproof cargo container on amazon.com.

In addition to all the RV stuff, I have also been preparing the house for a 3 month vacancy and for hurricane season.

At the recommendation of a friend, I bought a Magic Jack which allows me make/receive calls anywhere I have an internet connection. Since I will be travelling Interstates primarily, I will have an internet connection at most overnight RV parks and rest stops. MJ also has voicemail which converts to .wav files and sends the message to email. Really cool--I can listen to your message on my 'puter. This is a wonderful thing as I don't have to worry about running out of premium cell phone minutes!

I leave tomorrow morning, Aug 14th. My MJ number is 772-882-6859. My cell phone has unlimited talk time on weekends so I can chat as long as I want: 239-247-1655.