It Has Begun

On Wednesday I got the climate controlled 10X20 storage unit. At first I was going for the best rate, or the closest to where I am now. However, It ended up that I got one down the road from my parents' place. I think that in the long run that will be best. I took a token load of boxes over there when I rented it. On the way back to town I stopped at Sam's and got 2 more of the nice (expensive!) rolling stainless steel shelving. Then I met a friend at the Flying Saucer down in town. Dinner, a large dark draft beer, and lots of conversation. I got home late for me, around 9.

Yesterday morning I got up and started pulling out the still-packed boxes of stuff from when I moved into this place a couple of years ago. I got most of it on the porch by the time Nancye got here. We did lots of discussing and some loading. My plan to pull the Toyota behind the Jeep was not a hit with several people. Upon consideration, and since some of the folks who think it's a bad idea are ones who's opinion I really respect, I am ditching that plan. Ok, it also happens that the Toyota is starting to really not run well, and the suspension is creaking with even the small loads I'm putting in it. It needs A LOT of work done to make it run and ride well again. It has been an awesome truck. It's tired.

Nancye was relieve to hear that plan was gone. I have moved on to getting an RV here and driving it out. It makes it a lot easier to take the cats that way. The Jeep just doesn't have room for 2 cats, Nancye and I, their litter box (I'd have them in a large crate what would take up all of the back of the Jeep), and even pulling a U-Haul trailer I couldn't put the cats back there (that was my back up plan with the truck...) We loaded the boxes of stuff in Nancye's suburban and my truck and stopped by an RV place and looked at their used ones. The first one was a Class A, and I could live in it well. It was looooonnnnng. Nancye was now upset at the thought of us driving this long of an RV with the Jeep behind it. Now, don't get the idea that Nancye is a timid folk. She heads off on adventures and jumps behind the wheel of whatever is needed. I'm just pushing the envelope of both of our experience. We looked at Class C RV's which are smaller. I don't know that I could live in one of those long term. Not enough closet space, no place for the cat's litter box, etc. Something I'm kinda playing with, and need to run the numbers, is maybe getting a Class C to drive out there, and trade it in on a Class A once I'm there. I'm trying to think of all the possibilities.

Another issue is that I am not looking at new RV's. I'm looking at way old ones. In fact, I'm going to look at an '84 Class A today. It's the one that is calling me, from the first pictures. It is way cheap. I could put a fair amount of money (couple of thousand) and still come out ahead. But, it's a long trip out to WA. That's what Nancye, with a chorus of eveyone else behind her, keeps reminding me.

It was cold as we unloded. I'm glad I got the climate controlled unit, it was warm in there. It was late so we didn't put the shelving together. I'll go do that today, after looking at the RV. I call Mom and asked if she had food, and we headed over there for a quick supper. Nancye headed home one direction, me the other. In an group email to Bluebell sent out after we all got home it sounds like Nancye has decided to hang in with what I decide. Then again, the plan may change several more times in the next 2 weeks.

Today I slept in till 9. I don't want to put my back out this early in the process, so I'm taking it easy. I'll put a load into the truck, head to look at the RV, then head to the unit to put together the shelving and organize what's alread there. Then, I'll come home and start making decisions on the rest of the stuff. I have 3 days this weekend, due to the holiday, to make as much progress as I can.

And that is pretty much where I'm at. I see this situation kind of like a kite. I've got the wind of this move pushing me higher. I need the string to earth as much as the wind to actually make any movement. I see my friends here as that string. A kite without a tail to give it ballast and dampen it's sudden lurches in many directions doesn't go up, either. It needs that bit of downward pull to straighten it's path. I see Nancye as that ballast that keeps me from shooting off wildly. In return, the kite takes the tail up with it. So, I'm getting ready to fly.