Home and Sleep

I'm back home in WA. I got in around 5 and immediately fell asleep. 12 hours later I feel more normal. I'm sore from packing around the huge amount of stuff I flew home with. I won't take so much next time, or bring so much back.

I got a prototype pack while at the hangout in Hot Springs while I was gone. I hope I won't be schlepping the heavy pack I took with me back there again. That will help with the weight of the luggage. Also, I won't be packing all my dirty clothes with me again. It was nice to use my own machines to wash the laundry, but I had more clothes with me than I needed. I won't have access to my machines again, anyway. I rented out the house. Here's hoping it's the right thing to do.

I go in to work in an hour or so. I actually missed it, wondered what was going on with folks. I guess that is a good thing.

Update

I have been asked to update more often (waves at Charlie...). This week I can't say I don't have anything happening to write about. So far it has gone basically as I outlined in my last entry. Nancye, from here on out known as Turtle Lady (because I carry my home on my back), and I went to Hot Springs for the hangout last weekend. Met some nice folks, learned some new tricks with my hammock camping system, and came into a couple of home made alcohol stoves and a new style pack called the Molly Mac Pack. The pack was his prototype that he donated to the silent auction at the hangout. It is a rectangle of molly straps with alice pack shoulder straps and hip belt. This is a military style method of attaching various pouches and equipment, used on the back of flight vests and such. His pack is just the attachments. Difficult to describe. I'll attach various water proof bags to the frame, and eliminate the 'bag' part of the pack. I've wanted to play with this since he mentioned it. I'll put in pictures when I get home and load it with my stuff.

The house rental is on track. I'm having a lawyer friend of mine draft the lease. I'm nervous, but there seems to be no good solution to this now. I'm lucky that I can rent this out at a low enough rate to attract friends, or rather my friends adult kids. More when I have it all nailed down.

I work tomorrow, going in for training at the Ft. Campbell branch of our contract. I need the training, and it means I don't have to take any time with no pay. I didn't have enough leave for this entire week without this opportunity to 'work' two days while I'm here. My boss does try to work with me as much as he can.

And that is what's going on so far.

On the Road Again

I'm at Sea-Tac airport waiting for the flight to Nashville. I used the shuttle that picks me up at home. A neighbor will take care of the cats while I'm gone. Nancye was putting my truck at the house yesterday, Phil will pick me up at the airport and take me to the house when I get there this afternoon. Tomorrow after visiting my Dad, Nancye and I go to the hang-out at Hot Springs for the weekend. Then, I meet with the folks who want to rent my house, using work on the house as part of the rent. I'll be busy this next week while at home. Hopefully, everything here in Washington is battened down and will be fine while I'm gone.

I packed my dirty clothes to do laundry at the house in my own machines. It occurred to me this morning while waiting on the shuttle that I packed no clean underwear (or anything else...) So, a first order of business is to get detergent and wash what I'll need for the weekend.

Another hour and a half till my flight...

Same Old

Again, not a lot goes on here. The weather has gone back to rainy and cool. One of my co-workers told me, when I was talking in early summer about packing away my winter clothes, 'don't pack them too far away'. I see what she meant. I need a change here. I'm spending this Labor Day weekend going through more stuff trying to eliminate and consolidate. It's the small things at this point. But, I have the time now and it needs to be done.

I head to Nashville the 17th. I will set up the house for the winter, one way or another. I'll make some more decisions. I'll see my Dad again, as he is still there in the nursing home. He mostly sleeps, Mom says. I'll also spend the first weekend at the hangout in Hot Springs. There are so many folks who go to that now that I hope that the small intimate feeling of hanging with some special friends isn't lost.

Perhaps I'll post on my progress from this weekend later. If there is enough progress to discuss.