The Blizzard of 2015 = Productivity

I've had a long weekend!  A nor'easter blew through here yesterday dumping close to 2' of snow on us!  The sanctuary was closed both yesterday and today, so it was an unexpected two extra days off!  The highlight was not losing power! 

Being home gave me the opportunity to get things done!  I made calls regarding auto and trailer insurance quotes, printed off the Escapees mail forwarding forms to complete, spoke to my 403(b) account representative about what I need to do come my last day of work on February 28, and organized my desk!  Next is to look at every photo we have here and decide what to digitize and what to toss.  I just went through so many of our cycling photos including our trip across the US (20 years ago this year!!), rallies, and travels.  If we ever attempted to digitize all of them, we'd be here for another year!  So we need to pick and choose only the special memories.

We sold our entertainment unit on Sunday so the only big furniture we have left is our bed, loveseat, and chair and Betsy has offered to buy those items from us; we also have a heavy dining table that really has been a catch-all and 'folding laundry' table and I have no idea where and when that will go.  I dropped off a small table to Sandra, as a gift, so that is another item out!

Next, send emails to my sisters with photos of family items to see who wants what.

The other night Michael hung a wall map of the U.S. and we started marking destinations with little post-it notes!  How fun!  So far this is our initial plan of action...depart mid-March and head to NJ for a 10 day visit with family and friends.  Head west to Wisconsin for April 1 to pick up the teardrop!  Then head to Livingston, Texas to establish our domicile and register our car and trailer, get driver's licenses, register to vote, etc.  We'll be Texans!

Our goal is to visit Harriet in Tucson AZ if that works well for her, and then reach Lakehead, CA for the first weekend in May to attend the Dam Gathering of Tears, a rally of sorts for teardrop owners!  We look forward to camping with Bruce and Jackie, whom we have met through the CI forum.  From northern CA we'll poke around heading to Oregon and WA state.  In WA there is another 'gathering' called the Northwest Round-Up, that is the third week of August.  By October we plan on heading back south to spend the winter where no blizzards will find their way!  Still need to figure this part out.  Many of our destinations will be dictated by birdwatching!

Now, though, we wait for our long driveway to be plowed so I can go to work tomorrow.

Moving On

Tendering my resignation was easier than I thought it would be.

I had been feeling anxiety about it leading up to Friday (1/16) when I knew I'd be talking to Bob.  I mentioned this to Harriet the day before and she was surprised that I felt that way as she thought I'd be feeling joy.  I understand that and actually I was feeling a sense of underlying excitement. This would be taking us one step closer to our odyssey.  Yet, I think the nervousness had to do with the fact that I have really liked my job and was sad on a small scale to give it up...and there was that little nudge reminding me that what we are doing is huge.

But, once I sat in Bob's office, the words flowed smoothly -- no hesitation on my part.  There was Bob's surprised reactions of "no!" and "really?"  He said he wasn't expecting this and could I stay a few more years!  I was very appreciative of several things he said about my role at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.  I feel I have really made a contribution, but I also feel strongly that my co-workers and "my" volunteers contributed to the success I have had at the sanctuary.

After, I went into the ladies rest room and did a little fist pumping, celebrating this big step closer to the teardrop future!

My last day is Saturday, 2/28, as I offered to help with training and transition of a new volunteer coordinator.

Countdown to Panic!

10.  It doesn't help matters when you're trying to relax and fall asleep that your dear husband announces that it's 10 1/2 weeks "til showtime"!!

9.  Which phone call do I make first?? 

8.  It is time to let my boss know of my intentions to leave my job, effective 2/28!

7.  How the heck do we prioritize things when they all seem like #1 on the list?

6.  Even with so much house stuff sold, there's still much to sell, give away, donate, trash...

5.  We need to stop watching TV!!  (Except for the Pats playoff game this Sunday).

4.  When do we step down from the Cape Cod Bird Festival committee??  Two weeks ago!  Ooops.

3.  What are we forgetting?

2.  Do I take Tylenol P.M. to sleep??

1.  Maybe I should just breathe.

"Whoot Whoot!!"

Our anticipation level has soared upward after receiving new photos from Camp-Inn showing the progress of our 550 Special! Take a tour with me:

The Galley featuring the two under counter storage areas

The additional storage space in place; stainless steel counter tops still undercover!

A fender!  Our front windows are in!  The trailer is cocooned in its protective skin!  Front storage box!

The interior end where our heads will be in our queen bed, with 2 storage cubbies!

The "foot end" of our interior with 5 additional storage cubbies, plus Fantastic Fan!

So, we are getting closer and closer to our plans for our future, our Odyssey, and the excitement is sometimes unbearable!!  When we saw these photos yesterday, we were like two kids getting a present with each photo we saw!  We let our "whoot whoots", "yahoos", and "yeehaws" with each glance at the trailer coming more and more to life!

"Yeehaw"!

Memories

I've been immersing myself into many memories.  As part of our process of unloading material things, I went through my "memory box".  I created this box maybe 45 years ago and regularly placed memorabilia in it as the years went by.  A ticket stub from the Beatles concert I went to in Philadelphia in 1966.  Many notes and letters from my nieces and nephews.  Cocktail napkins from my sisters' marriages many years ago.  Some photos of family.  Birth announcements.  Old journals.  And I looked at and read every piece of this history.

However, the real tear jerker for me was reading notes from my parents to me going back to my childhood.  And my father was a doodler so I can't tell you how many scraps of paper I have with his unique artwork!  Letters that my parents wrote to me in college.  My parents are deceased, so as I read all of this, I did feel like I was in a room with them.  They felt so close.  Hence, the tears. 

It is hard to decide what to keep and what to part with.  A blender is one thing, but the pieces of our lives is another.  I haven't looked at all of these things in years, yet some of it can't be discarded, while other things can.  But having those "keepers" with me will feel like my family is with me.

Making Strides!

So we keep talking about our teardrop-to-come, and our travel plans, and retirement, and camping equipment.  We keep it alive by looking at the Camp-Inn teardrop site and participating in the forums we have discovered.  But, suddenly it isn't so much a vision or dream anymore.  We have received photos from Camp-Inn of our 550 Special being built!  Yes, it is happening!




 
It is really exciting to see the galley taking shape!

 
The 2 door openings are in place and the outside storage box is taking form!  And it is sitting on it's trailer frame!

Camp-Inn will send photos once or twice a week!  We are anxious to see the progression and feel the excitement!

Today we joined Escapees, a national RV club.  This organization offers a mail forwarding service that provides a street address in either Florida or Texas, depending where we establish a domicile.  We need this in order to register our car and trailer, get drivers' licenses, basically to have a home without actually living there.  Texas is looking like our choice, but we're still talking it over.

The little steps we have been taking are getting bigger!  The finish line is more in view now.

Go, Bonnie!

When I found this quote by Bonnie Raitt yesterday, those tiny doubts that creep in from time to time were quickly extinguished. 

"Life gets mighty precious when there's less of it to waste." --
Bonnie Raitt, 64

Now, I accept that it is normal to periodically question ourselves about the teardrop future we are planning.  There's much to do and many unknowns out there.  We could sit here and be relatively comfortable and unadventurous, kind of accepting the status quo as these years go by.  But this sounds like a time-waster. I want to do this Odyssey because I can see my future if I do not.  I will work forever and age day by day, slowing down and losing ambition and inquisitiveness.  You know, 'the same old, same old'. 

Accepting this new chapter in our lives is not a time-waster!  This lifestyle will take us on many trails to beautiful spots, beautiful birds, beautiful people...so many new and exhilarating experiences.  We will no doubt have our challenges too, whether a fight, a mechanical issue, or fatigue.  But we will handle these challenges.  How can you stay mad when you're looking at a snow-capped mountain or giant sequoia tree?! 


So, no time-wasting for us.  "Let's give them something to talk about....".