Welcome to a New Member

[Five-O]

I see we have a new member Dr. Doreen Orion. Hers is a very interesting story. I dont want to tell her story. Hopefully she will post and tell us.

[garyde]

Welcome Dr. D. Please post when you have a chance. Tell us about your Bus.

[lloyd&pamela]

Pamela and I meet Tim and Doreen at Prevost Mira Loma. They are full timers and Tim converted his bus. Doreen writes articles for Bus Converters Magazine and has a new book coming out about there adventures full timing the past few years. They are both lovely people and will be a valued addition to POG.

Tim did a very unique floor plan to accommodate there lifestyle. You can read about their latest adventures in the last two issues of BCM.

They are also both Shrinks so watch what you say around them they will know what it really means and what childhood experience created it.

Tim and Doreen glad to see you joined.

[JIM KELLER]

Welcome " QueenOfTheRoad " This group could be in need of your services and your book. Looking forward to your first post.

[Loc]

Welcome Doreen and Tim!

She writes a monthly article for "Bus Conversions" magazine. I have enjoyed her monthly articles pver the last couple of years. They are entertaining and have tips on campgrounds, sites and restaurants along the way.

[QueenOfTheRoad]

We just got back from 5 months on the road, so the unpacking has been rather time consuming and I only now saw this lovely welcome. Thank you!

But, please don't call me "Dr." – I’d prefer to be off duty while in this forum. (Busnuts tend to be pretty hopeless cases, after all.)

Oh, and (sorry, you made me do it): As for analyzing what you all say just because I'm a psychiatrist? Do you think if I were a proctologist I'd want to look up your butts? (Again, sorry. But you gave me an opening... so to speak... and I just couldn't help myself.)

We very much enjoyed our chance meeting with Pamela and Lloyd. Just to clear up: Our actual conversion was done by Vanture Coach (http://www.vanture.com)in Denver. However, since we live nearby in Boulder, we were totally involved in the design. They came up with the basics of our unusual floorplan (we call it a reverse side-aisle) and we went from there. I'm going to be adding a "tour our bus" link to my website (http://www.doreenorion.com), in the next month or two. For now, there are some pictures of the bus (a ’98 Le Mirage XL, no slides) scattered about on it amidst all the pictures of our travels, us and our pets.

I doubt Tim will be posting on this forum directly (hence, QueenOfTheRoad refers only to me, he wants you all to know). He's the type who turns his computer on about every month or so. (In fact, he's so bad with computers, he actually asks ME for tech support!) But, if you have specific questions about our bus I can't answer, I'll ask him and he can dictate his answers to me.

We full-timed for a year, 2004-2005. Now, we're hoping to just winter in our bus for 2-3 years until we can fix up our house and put it on the market. Then, we plan to full time indefinitely. My book, QUEEN OF THE ROAD (which is coming out June 10. If any of you will be in Denver June 14th, please save the date for the launch party – the bus will be making an appearance) is a humorous travel memoir about that year-long trip. I have a monthly contest (http://www.doreenorion.com/orion-contest.htm)on my website to win free copies (and a poopin' moose). This month's contest topic is "Travel Stories From Hell!" There’s also a “share a thought (http://www.doreenorion.com/orion-share.htm)” page on my website to write anything that comes to mind about buses, travels, tiaras… anything you like.

Briefly, Tim came home one day (after happening upon BCM in a local newsstand) and announced he wanted to "chuck it all" for a year and travel the country in a converted bus. I asked, "Why can't you be like a normal husband in a midlife crisis and have an affair or buy or Corvette?" and informed him I would "Never, ever, EVER live on a bus."

He's obviously a much better shrink than I am.

Despite all our misadventures (including, but not limited to: fire, flood, armed robbery, my developing a bus phobia, and finding ourselves in a nudist RV park) the trip was truly life-altering and we can't wait to get back to full timing. (So Tim not only got himself a converted bus, but a converted wife - into a busnut - as well.)

While I don't know a lot about bus innards and maintenance (that's Tim's job), I do know a bit about campgrounds, restaurants and things to do around the country (including the whole Alaska Marine Hwy thing) so please feel free to ask.

I look forward to being a part of this wonderful community!

[Darl-Wilson]

Doreen and Tim, we are glad to have you folks in this "wild and crazy" group. We certainly have some members that could use your expertise.:confused: (not me!)

I think many of us will be anxious to hear about your Alaska trip. I travel there to fish and sightsee but go by air and then rent a car. Most of my time has been spent on the Kenai Peninsula and Anchorage including all points in between. My wife will only travel to Alaska in our coach so I need some 1st hand info. I am hoping your book contains some detailed info about travel up the Alaska highway.

Again, welcome and I hope you will join us at the POG Rally at Pahrump, NV in May.:)

Darl

[Jon Wehrenberg]

"Oh, and (sorry, you made me do it): As for analyzing what you all say just because I'm a psychiatrist? Do you think if I were a proctologist I'd want to look up your butts? (Again, sorry. But you gave me an opening... so to speak... and I just couldn't help myself.)"

Welcome aboard. Based on the above let me assure you that you are going to be a perfect fit in this group. Actually to be a perfect fit you would need to add Proctology to your bona fides if you know what I mean. (Do I have to explain that to the rest of you who are still wondering if you just got insulted?)

Whatever you do please do not try to cure us. I believe most of us like being a little crazy, especially about buses.

[QueenOfTheRoad]

Darl -

Our favorite part of our entire Alaska trip was BY FAR the Marine Hwy. I wrote a series of articles for BCM on it. If there's enough interest on the boards, I guess I could post them in an Alaska Marine Hwy thread? Let me know if you all think people would be interested. If not, I can PM them to whoever wants.

Jon -

"Perfect fit." OUCH! (And, that made me grin - thanks.)

Don't worry about me trying to cure any of you. I have my hands full at home with Tim.

To all -

So nice to be here!

-Doreen

[rmboies]

[COLOR="Blue"]"

Whatever you do please do not try to cure us. I believe most of us like being a little crazy, especially about buses.


Jon, After Doreen's post I think Doreen and Tim should be the recipients of our next "Anal Award", what do you think of that oh king of the "A's"? :D

Welcome to you both and I am looking forward to reading about your travels.

Debi (and Bob who is some where around here <g>)

[Darl-Wilson]

Our favorite part of our entire Alaska trip was BY FAR the Marine Hwy. I wrote a series of articles for BCM on it. If there's enough interest on the boards, I guess I could post them in an Alaska Marine Hwy thread? Let me know if you all think people would be interested. If not, I can PM them to whoever wants.

Doreen, I think many of the POGers would be interested. We've had several discussions (http://forum.prevostownersgroup.com/showthread.php?t=60&highlight=alaska) about the Alaska subject. Please post on this thread or start a new one. Thanks for all your input, and don't pay any attention to Jon, he's harmless.;) Well, almost.

Could you post a link for the BCM articles?

Thanks,

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Sigh.........It looks like I will have to explain why Doreen needs to add Proctology to her bona fides.

If she is going to hang around with this bunch very much she is going to be dealing with crazy a--holes. Oh never mind. If I have to explain it it wasn't worth it.

Doreen, ignore what they say about me. You and I are the only sane ones here.

[QueenOfTheRoad]

Oh, Jon.

If you're including me in the "sane" catagory... well, let's just say that doesn't bode well for your mental health.

Darl -

I'll be happy to post. Give me a few days - I'm on a deadline with copyediting my book.

Loc -
Forget to say "thank you!" for the lovely comments on my BCM articles! I'd always pictured burley guys coming across my little Queen of the Road column, shaking their heads in disgust and paging right by. It's nice to know I have A fan!

[phorner]

Hello Queen...

Enjoyed your web site and blog. Sounds like quite an adventure and well worth the read.

A caution about full-timing.

When we retired 6 years ago, we saw living full time in a coach as the perfect way to travel the country and decide where we ultimately wanted to build or buy a home. A place to "retire to".

Although we have contemplated just such a move, we simply can't give up the lifestyle just yet.

Just be prepared to find full-timing so much fun as time goes by that you just might have a problem giving it up....

Best of luck with the book and your future adventures.

[QueenOfTheRoad]

Faithful Subjects, Paul and Janice:

Thanks so much!

I know what you mean - Tim and I so loved our year-long adventure (which we refer to as "the bus thing"). Then, we went away for 5 months this winter. We just got back last week and have been SO depressed having to live in a stationary home. Our goal now is for Tim (aka Project Nerd: Domestic Superhero) to fix up the house (as a monarch, I simply cannot chance a broken nail) and sell it in 2-3 years and just live in the bus until... ?

I think once you've had bus, you can't go back.

[QueenOfTheRoad]

Darl and anyone else interested in AK -

I just posted my first Alaska article in that thread you mentioned. It felt weird posting such a long post, so let me know if you think it's helpful and if I should post any of the (gulp!) next 16.

Sorry it took me a bit of time to get to. It's been crazy, but I just found out today that my book is going to be one of Borders Book Club picks for June!

I'm going to go polish my tiara, now.