Remembering Memorial Day

Having spent a week in Nevada visiting my sister, Suzanne, her daughters and grandchildren - complete with the cutest little dogs you ever saw, I actually remembered it was Memorial Day this morning.

If I could, I would go to my father's grave this morning - though I am in the wrong state for that - nonetheless, I appreciate what he did to support our freedom and democracy. It is not that I think he is the only one who did so, thankfully many have and continue to do so, it is just that that is where I start. Remembering my father putting on his John Phillip Souza album and shouting "Rise and shine, it's a beautiful day!" at some ungodly hour...he really wanted us to appreciate our freedom and those who paid so dearly for it, and I do! It seems the older I get, the more I appreciate it...perhaps I am not so busy wondering if I will get a pimple today...be that as it may, I would like to thank all of the people that have spent some or all of their lives keeping us free! Happy Memorial Day!

I am sorry to report that I have not figured out how to post to my blog from my cell phone, but I do promise to be more diligent in finding a link or signal so as not to worry ya'll.

I did get to check out and eliminate Honey Lake from my list of destinations. It certainly was beautiful, but the mail is delivered to the mailboxes on Rt. 395 and the main roads heading in and out of the community are hard packed sand...both of which are deal breakers for me...so the journey continues...

All Ready, Except AT&T

Ah, so close...ready to go, just one box to integrate into the van. The district has invited me to join the board for retirement recognition on Thursday-and off I go...except for one little thing-my phone.

I have had the same phone number for over twenty years, so yeah, I want to keep the number. For a small fee, AT&T will forward all of the calls to that number to my cell phone. A virtual phone if you will. This was a tremendous relief to me until it actually failed to happen. Since Friday, my phone has been giving an out of service message, and I dare say that some people are really worried about me....thanks AT&T! Here I am embarking on the most adventurous move of my adult life and they need to trip people out? Aye yi yi...
yeah, I've spoken to them a half dozen times, and according to the robot it's all fixed except that it isn't and if it doesn't get fixed within a day or so, I guess they saved me the money because it won't be worth doing after all.

In the meantime, I am enjoying Lorraine and Jim's hospitality and tightening up the van inventory. I have found a small city that I really am interested in living in, northern California, so it's my next stop. I'll fill you in when I work out the details...this is going to be fun!

Fluffy, the Traveling Cat

Fluffy is my cat. She has become a traveling cat, though she did not get to vote. She likes her carrier, she just likes it to stay in one place. Now she is okay when the vehicle is moving but when it stops she complains loudly. Will this make me run red lights, no, but it might make a good excuse. "NO officer, I saw the light, but the cat told me not to stop." Would make for an interesting hospital visit, no? Anyway, Fluffy is acclimating to the adventure pretty well. Coco, on the other hand is in heaven. He's always loved traveling, but now he has his best friend with him.

As for me, I am getting the van in to shape for traveling. Deciding what you really need is a little complex. I'm staying with my friends, Jim and Lorraine, who are geographically close to my former home. However, this allows me to get in a few practice runs in with the setup and the animals, and I'm getting the kinks out. Next, I'll need to make an actually itinerary.

Another POD?

I am writing from my kitchen floor because all the furniture is in a POD. This POD system is amazing! They drop it off, you fill it, they take it away and store it. When you want it back, let them know and they bring it where ever you want them too. My new way to move.

Richard and Kevin worked until the POD was stuffed to the gills, and it will be picked up in the morning.However, the yard furniture didn't make it in, one of the kitchen chairs is still here and assorted pieces that I probably could live without, but that one kitchen chair? No, I think I need to get just one more pod, a small one-true, but in for a penny, in for a pound I guess. So the packing continues and I guess I get to keep the lawn furniture after all...

Throwing Away Broken Belief

What an amazing job my brothers did for me today! I knew I had a ton of stuff, but it turned out to be two tons. Oh mercy me, I am so blessed to have so much stuff - but please...anyway, during the course of this very long day, I actually threw away a broken belief...I'm hoping that's true in more ways than one. The way that it is definitely true is that one of my students gave me a beautiful Belief as a Christmas gift. I needed to throw it away.

Over the past year or so, a housekeeper accidentally broke it - so I glued it back together and it was fine. Today, it broke again and so...I threw away my broken belief. Considering the adventure I am embarking on, I do believe this to be a very wonderful thing, even if it is only symbolic...which I don't think it is. How cool is that?

Should Belief be thrown, unceremoniously, cast into the can? Or buried in a shoebox with a written broken belief? This is a cool idea...I think I'll sleep on this idea and throw it away tomorrow.

For tonight it is late, and I had a really big day. I surly earned a great night's sleep.

Thanks for checking in...how about letting me know that you did? I'd like that :D

The Adventure Begins

As you may have heard in whole or in part, I am in the process of designing my retirement :D As I write this I am in the final stages of packing my house for storage for the next three to six months (that's the corporate I, because I have lots of help). This frees me to travel some and get a feel for where I would like to spend my retirement.

It should not surprise you that I am interested in staying on the west coast. In fact, I am looking for a summer home on a lake that someone needs to part with and that I can live happily in.

I know my adventure is frightening to some, but please remember that I am the same woman that drove to California in 1979 with $176.87, for my younger readers, that was NOT a lot of money back in the day. That is to say that you should not overly worry about me, but I welcome all prayers on my behalf!

If you are nervous about my van, I have made arrangements to replace it when the time comes. In the meantime, I intend to drive it as long as possible to get the full value out of all the money I have invested in it. Plus, the setup is sweet!

I am leaving Burbank on Wednesday, May 12, 2010. My Blackberry Curve {which is new to me} has GPS, email, twitter, and many other features that I intend to become familiar with as I travel. Feel free to call or text me, though texting is a new skill for me - it is unlimited so I expect to become very familiar with it as I travel.

My twitter is goodhobbits as is my email goodhobbits@att.net. My home phone now has a permanent message directing you to call my cell phone number. I will not post that number on the blog, but if you email me, I'll send it to you (assuming that I know you).

I expect to visit Carin, Suzanne and her gang,then head north for a while and then east for the family reunion and a promised visit to Aunt Joan and Uncle Paul in Delaware. If you would like a visit, let me know and I will do my best to make it happen. Be advised that I am traveling with my dog, Coco, and my cat, Fluffy - which should provide me with some serious entertainment.

I do hope that you will enjoy hearing from me and wish me well on my journey.

The Plot Thickens

It is safe to say that times flies even when you're not having fun, for example it flies even when you are packing...but it isn't fair to say that I'm not having fun. Carin (Suzanne's oldest) jumped in her car and had her way with my garage. Which is to say that she sorted, packed, labeled and taped every box AND separated them for moving or yard sale. For those of you who have not seen my garage, this may not have the proper impact, let's just say that some of those boxes have been inhabited by four varieties of spiders and three varieties of ants for a couple of years now. In addition, there are well over one hundred boxes there...not one remained untouched - by the way whoever said that if you have black ants they chase out the others is completely wrong- but I digress...then, she jumped back in her car to drive the eight hours back to her beautiful family. She is my hero!

Brad, Lorraine, Jim, Kevin, and Richard converged on the now fully organized garage to set up my yard sale Saturday and Sunday. I cannot even pretend that I helped, unless you count my thank yous...The yard sale was a complete success and half the garage was emptied. Thank God! The local Goodwill has requested that I take a couple of days off before bringing them any more of my very cool stuff (no, I'm not kidding) and all of the boxes in the kitchen, living room and bedroom have been installed in the newly vacated garage space. this may all sound very mundane to you, but this is awesome to me! I can actually go from room to room again...it is the little things :D

Now, we come to the climax, I have four days to finish this extraction. The van is looking good, and as far as that is concerned, I am actually very excited. The POD arrives on Saturday and is removed Monday. We are surely in the home stretch...as for where I'm going...Carin has located me a house and a future husband, so all I have to do is show up...first stop, Fallon, Nevada. It would be funny if that's the way it works out, you never can tell - after all, this is me we're talking about.