11/14/06 A Long Travel Day

We got on the road around 7:30 this morning. It was a long day traveling, I-95 is such a boring ride!

We didn't really have a whole lot to say to each other as the miles rolled by. I guess we were lost in our own thoughts about the past few days and what the future will bring for us.

I must say, Shag, our terrier, is just the best little traveler. We never heard so much as a whimper out of her. She's just happy to be with us.

We pulled into Point South KOA in South Carolina for the night. A nice campground right off I-95. They even have their own pizza shop right in the campground office and they deliver! Pizza is pretty good too.

We have to make it to Tampa tomorrow so we have a long day ahead of us. We turned in early tonite and sleep came quickly.

November 12, 2006

Our last Sunday in this house that we STILL own. We're convinced now that it won't sell until spring, its getting too close to the holidays now. January and February aren't great home selling months according to everything we've heard. Bob and I are concerned that we're going to have to use our savings to make these mortgage payments. Not something we want to do but we'll have no choice.

About 9 a.m. I went out to the porch and saw Bob talking to our neighbor Sonny. I noticed him and his wife were dressed for church which means they'll be gone until evening. Still in my robe I slipped on a pair of shoes and went to say my "so longs". Sonny has been a great neighbor and we'll miss him.

While standing there I noticed this car driving by real slowly and watched it stop by the FOR SALE sign. I went over to the car and asked if he wanted to see the house. He said, "Sure". So clad in robe and docksiders I showed him around. He loved it! He offered me a check to hold it so we wouldn't sell it during that days open house. I asked if he was married and he said yes. I told him, "Not until your wife sees it". He assured me that he knew she would love it. I repeated myself, "Not until your wife sees it". He replied, "I'm going home to get her right now so don't sell this house!". One and a half hours later he was back, his wife in tow. She was there 10 minutes, looked at him and said, "I want this house!" HOORAY! The house is sold! Two hours later we had an offer, full price!

Sunday afternoon Tanya and I just hung out. Bob hooked up the 5th wheel to pull it out onto the street since it was going to rain. As he hooked up the 5th wheel lines from the truck I heard this yell and a long string of cuss words. I ran out thinking he had hurt himself. I soon found out that we missed something on our list things to do, the one that said....GET TRUCK INSPECTED. Oh no! Now a trip to the DMV will set our departure time back a little bit in the morning.

Sunday evening we had dinner at the Texas Road House with my parents, my uncle, Kenny and my brother and sister - in - law, Billy and Michelle. My mom was very smart - So longs said in a public place,,,,or so she thought.

Just before we were seated Bob nudged me and said, "Look who just came in". I looked but didn't recognize anyone. He pointed out a woman with her back to us but I didn't know who it was. When he said, "It's Sue" I walked over to her not really knowing who he meant. I touched the woman on the shoulder and when she turned around I got the surprise of my life. It was indeed Susan. Susan and I have been friends for the last 47 years. She now lives in Atlanta, Georgia. I knew she was coming "home" for a week from the last time we talked but we figured we would be on the road already and would miss each other. What a great surprise. Need I tell you there were misty eyes when she finished her dinner and came over to say "so long"?

Dinner went well with us being able to announce that the house is sold.

Now came the moment of truth, saying "so long" to family.

We stood outside the restaurant in a light rain and Kenny stepped up to the plate first. With promises of coming to see us in April we hugged and kissed and I cried.

Dad was next. After I love yous, lots of hugs and kisses we said "so long". I cried.
The hardest of all was next. How do you say "so long" to Mom? That's not to say its any easier to say so long to Dad, but all of you women readers know there is just such a special bond between mothers and daughters and we're no different. I think she told herself she wasn't going to cry, nice try Mom, it didn't work. We cried.

We didn't have to say goodbye to Billy and Michelle, after all, we'll see them in Florida on Thursday. Thank heavens for small favors.

So we made our way home for the final night in our little brick ranch house.

Tan came up and we spent several hours on the porch talking, laughing, crying and just sharing the time in silence for long moments, each of us in deep thought about how we'll deal with not being three doors away anymore.

November 11, 2006

Today I went to the local stores to say my "so longs". You live in a place for 26 years and you get to know your local merchants and the staff. There's no just walking away, you have to say so long.

Also today was one of my hardest "so longs". Dianne, my very special friend came to the house to see us. Di lived across the street until the late 90's but we never lost touch when she moved to Alabama and then to New Jersey. Sometimes in life you make "forever friends", Dianne is such a friend. I sobbed, she sobbed and we both sobbed some more. No matter where our travels take us I know she'll always be there. As a going away gift she gave me a peach colored hand towel embroidered with "You will always be my best friend. You know too much". She's right, I do.

The house practically echoes today as we walk through it. It's empty except for what we will absolutely need between now and Monday when we start our great adventure.

Bob spent the day visiting a few of his buddies and having a last beer at his VFW lodge. Tanya ferried me around with last minute errands. She really is attached to my hip and I'm so glad that she is.

Dinner tonight was subs from Capriotti's our favorite sub shop. I'm gonna miss that place!

After dinner Tan and I sat on our porch and reminisced about our 15 + years together until the wee hours of the morning.

November 10, 2006

Tanya informed me today that it will seem like are joined at the hip this weekend. She has announced that she's not leaving my side. I am so grateful for that, I'm going to miss her terribly.

Bob's brother, Gene and our sister-in-law Linda came by today to say their farewell's. I cried.

Today Bob moved the computer out to the 5th wheel. I feel like my lifeline has been cut off. How am I going to play my daily online game of Scrabble?

My niece, Ryann, came by this afternoon with her two little boys, Steven and Justin. She came to say "so long". You guessed it, we cried. I'm used to talking with her every few days to learn what new things these two little toddlers are learning to do. Hopefully, we'll keep this up.

One good thing about being so close to our full time adventure, I've declared the kitchen off limits! No more cooking for me. Tonight its Chinese from our favorite restaurant.

November 9, 2006

We moved the bedroom suite down the street today to Tanya's. She and I loaded it into her van by ourselves and unloaded it at the other end. I think we both heard the song "I Am Woman" in our heads as we loaded the triple dresser and chest on chest. Until the mattress is loaded into the 5th wheel it will rest on the bedroom floor. The bedroom now consists of a mattress, TV, lamp and alarm clock.....all at ground level. She's not getting the bedroom TV until the last minute!

We went to Walmart today to try to find a desk for our computer. They had one on display in a light colored finish, the one I wanted. Of course they didn't have one in stock and then we found out it was discontinued to boot. I told the salesperson that I would take the display model. He said they don't sell display models. I asked for the store manager and 20 minutes later we were loading the display model (at half price no less) into the truck. It pays to be persistent!

Next stop, Best Buy to buy a flat screen computer monitor. We have a laptop but our desk model is only a year old and we saw the need for two computers.

November 8, 2006

All the stuff we listed on Freecycle is gone now. Closets are pretty much empty with the exception of the kitchen. I made a trip to Lowe's today for plastic bins and wire shelves to make more storage space. I'm wishing we had a 45 footer now.

Shag, our dog is so confused. She's sees us loading the 5th wheel but we're not going anywhere. She just loves camping and is such a good traveler.

Bob thinks we should leave on Monday the 13th now instead of Sunday the 12th. It will give us a chance for one more open house. OK, works for me, one more day with neighbors.

Neighbors. How do we say so long to people who just don't happen to live near us but have become lifelong friends? My very close friend/neighbor, Tanya, and I are having a real hard time with this. We've been such good friends, sharing so much for over 15 years now. How does one say "so long"?

11/13/06 The Adventure Begins....

The day has arrived, we're leaving home. Our good friends, Mickey and Cindy came over at 7:30 in the morning to pick up their new to them TV and stand plus a few other odds and ends I had earmarked for Cindy. Mickey helped Bob put the mattress in the 5th wheel and Cindy helped me put the last minute things in the trailer. At this point we're just throwing stuff on the bed, there was no place to put them anyway.

Bob went to motor vehicle and I went and visited some neighbors and then sat on the porch with Tanya for awhile.

Bob and I did a final walk through the house and as I closed the door for the final time,,,I cried.

We said our "so longs" to Ed and Bev, you guessed it, I cried. We made a stop down the street to say "so long" to John and Ruby, a wonderful older couple that Bob visited with on an almost daily basis. He's going to miss his buddy John, this I am sure of. Then came Tanya....Use your imagination on this one. I'll only cry if I have to write it out.

One stop at Walmart to pick up film I had dropped off there and then we are fulltimers!

Let the adventure begin......



Here's where we go from


REAL ESTATE



to







WHEEL ESTATE









I-95 here we come - Florida bound.

We made it the first day as far as southern Virginia. With the unexpected trip the DMV we didn't start as early as we hoped so therefore didn't get as far as we hoped.
We stayed in a nondescript mom and pop campground the first night.