sigh

I can definitely say I was not to the point of being able to pack up in a day. Some progress. Not a lot. I am going to mail a lot of clothes and such, and maybe one of the laptops. I hate to trust it to the APO system, but I don't think I want to carry 4 computers through security at the airport. Most of the issues are timing how to manage the transition. However, there are a lot of folks on-line who do something called the Project 333 where they choose 33 items only to wear for 3 months. I'm managing a lot more than 33 items between 2 checked luggage and mailing stuff. I need to go to post and get more mailing boxes tomorrow and send off the ones I packed up today. Maybe as things clear out I will feel more on top of this.

The Beginning

Up before the phone alarm goes off at 5:30 am, coffee made. I am wondering around a bit just looking, details jump out and I do them such as sweep the floor, do some ironing. Trying to get ready to really start packing. The stuff that I have out where I can use it looks like a mountain of stuff to try to push into neatly packed boxes. First I have to unpack what I had already packed in the suitcases to go on vacation. Priorities changed. The issues to consider are timeline - it will take at least 2 months to get the things that are shipped - and safety. My computers and cameras need to be with me in carry on. That is 3 laptops and a tablet, a tablet/phone, a video camera and a quick shoot digital camera. A lot of weight to schlep through the airports. I will hopefully need interview outfits, and all the heavy winter clothes that I've been pushing to the back of my closets now need to be packed in my checked luggage to wear as soon as I get back. Jeans come out to be packed, shorts pushed back to be shipped. Nicer clothes packed, what I've been wearing, well, not so sure where it goes, but I'm thinking that sleeveless tops won't be what I'm wearing every day for awhile. Coffee maker, shipped, backpacking drip coffeemaker in my carry on. Cleaning supplies given to... someone.

I sit down and drink coffee and play on the computer. The desktop computer that will be shipped. Oh, guess I better pull a backup of it as there is no guarantee that my things will actually show up at the other end. Trying to figure out timing all this, so I'm not left with my clean underwear in a different country than I am. The short answer to this is that I can just replace anything I have for not a lot of money. There are stores on each end of this trip. My friend here has said that I can crash on her couch in the time between when my stuff (to include my bed) is shipped and when I leave. Hopefully that will only be one night, but who knows.

And so it begins.

Turn the Page

Today I was cut from the contract here. I'm not alone, they cleaned house. Nothing really personal. My corporate bosses, the ones from Texas, say they have no issues with me and will try to find something for me to do. With the debts, other than the house, paid, I can live on unemployment. Turn the page...

So, now I spend time truly packing, sorting, etc. I am not so inclined to donate as much, but that may change. I'm still processing events. My first inclination is to just ship all my stuff back, doesn't cost me anything to ship it as it's covered in my relocation. I've got time to figure this out. My back of the envelope plans at this point have me looking to be back in the States this time next week. Everything isn't just in jello, it is written in flowing water at this point. I look around and, well, I'm not real motivated. When I don't have to go in to work tomorrow I will be happily motivated to get home.

I should be feeling something. I will, once I get started. Dang, this is a lot of stuff to figure out suddenly. Prayers requested. I'll get though it. And I'm still going to Las Vegas. The flight is already paid for and the lodging is free. I'm thinking that the change of scenery will help me get my legs back under me.

Chugging Along

I sent out a bunch of on-line applications. So far the contracting world is unimpressed that I'm available. Oh, well. Just getting started is the best thing to do. If my resume isn't out there, no one will see it. I need to do a cover letter. For some reason I am fighting that. It will help, no doubt, to have one. It's on the list.

I removed a couple of blogs from my blog list, sadly, as the writers had passed on from this world. It made me sad to see them at the bottom of the list, no longer to be updated. I have this weekend added a few more. A lot of times I troll other bloggers blog lists, and if I find myself spending as much time clicking off their list as I do my own I figure it is time to add those blogs to my own list. I do have an eclectic (thank you spell check) list as my interests are fairly wide ranging. I am mostly following full time RV'ers, though, as that is where I hope to end up.

Last weekend was a 3 day weekend, and I spent it in Teguc at the InterContinental. The casinos were very, very good to me. Here's hoping that the trend continues while I'm in Las Vegas. I have that RV lifestyle to fund, you know. I was double upgraded at the hotel since my original upgraded room was not yet ready when I arrived. My special front desk guy showed up and suddenly I was on my way to the Jr. Suite on the top floor. Separate living room with it's own guest bathroom, both a glassed in shower and a sunken tub off the large bedroom. Have I mentioned that I will miss this part, being one of the 1% while paying discounted rates?

Being away last weekend set me up needing to spend this weekend cleaning and mopping and doing laundry and ironing. Something seems to have happened to the geckos. I'm wondering if my upstairs neighbor putting out poison for the ants got to the geckos. I haven't heard them in a few days and they are usually fairly noisy around sunset. I also have been invaded by the big ants. I don't kill them intentionally, but I do encourage the spiders to do the natural thing. My floors looked like Armageddon (again, thanks spell check)with dead ants everywhere. Again this morning is more of the same after a day of sweeping them up yesterday. I, myself, have avoided the use of poison out of concern for the geckos.

I am pulling things out to donate as I pack for my trip. I'll take two suitcases to Mom's, planning on leaving one in storage. The box of glasses did get taken in to a co-worker rather than packed away. It is a start. I am excited about 5 days in Las Vegas, time in the US, alone, to do what I want when I want. I do admit that I'm kinda hoping to fund that RV lifestyle while I'm there. A girl can dream.

Logjam breaks open

Whatever the logjam has been that has me sitting in the quiet basically doing nothing has finally broken free. I heard from my references that I am good to go now to apply for jobs. I applied for 5 this afternoon. I'll load the shotgun and send applications flying in all directions until I find a new job. Or until next month when I go on vacation. To Las Vegas. Woo Hoo!!!

The Jeep is paid off. So are the credit cards. I'm (almost) FREE!!!! The house is still a stumbling block, but so far it's one I can afford until it is sold. I'm packing things up in anticipation. Some things I pack, and then upon consideration decide to just donate them here. I should set a limit of 'if I can replace this for under $25 once I'm back, I just donate it here'. As much stuff as I have, both here and waiting for me in my storage units back in the States, it's not like I'm in any danger of doing without anything.

Onward!

It is a New Year

Ok, most every blog published today has stated that. Sorry, I just can't come up with anything more original. Quiet times still around here. No more excuses on getting on with looking for a way to get back to the States. Many reasons piling up as to why I need to, mostly because I'm stuck in a rut and growing moss and roots. I still haven't been paid this month's paycheck, so the Jeep is still not quite paid off. Tomorrow? I did some rearranging and packing up of loose stuff around here. I started packing the extra suitcase of stuff to go back with me in February to leave in storage, stuff that I don't need here. A good case could be made that I don't need most of it at all, but progress, progress.

I'm on late shift this week, covering for a vacationing co-worker. That means at least 2 hours of nothing to do except keep the light on and sit by the phone while at work. No reason not to get the resume out there. Here's hoping.

Hope you all have a great 2013.

Feliz Navidad, Merry Christmas

I wish everyone a Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Joyous whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year.

What is...

What do you call the day before Christmas Eve? I call it my birthday. I spent the weekend down in Tegucigalpa and just got back home. A nice, relaxing day. At some point I may get back into some kind of tradition again for my birthday, but for now just getting away a bit and relaxing is fine.

I may get some tape and tape the Christmas stocking I was given last year on the wall above my table again. That will be the extent of my decorating. I have to work tomorrow, but it will be slow. Sometime next week hopefully my presents to myself will arrive in the mail. When they do I'll show them here.

December has been a nice, slow month. I am starting to feel the stirrings of plans starting to be made in the depths of my mind. Still unsure what I want from this point on. Life down here is definitely easy. I would like to get back to the States, but even that is difficult to get fired up enough to do the things I need to do to get there. Maybe while it is slow tomorrow I'll work on shining the resume and posting it to some sites just to see what looks back at me.

Time Passes

Still not a lot going on. I'm ok with this. I'm getting little details done that I usually manage to put off as not having enough time to do them. In most cases it is things not high on my list of enjoyable activities. However, there is getting to be clean and clear space in my apartment. And in my mind.

I just got the first electric bill from the house in the US in awhile. $94 for less than 2 weeks. $60 of it charges for things other than electricity. Ok, so I get the $45 turn on fee. And I remember the almost $4 fuel surcharge. What is an almost $12 'customer charge'? I have to pay them extra because I'm one of their customers? I really don't want to own real estate again. I haven't heard much from anyone up there. The realtor had someone who was supposed to go give me an estimate on how much to get codes off my tail so we can list the house for sale. I'm thinking we could list it now, but I think the realtor doesn't want her name officially linked to the place right now. The codes lady tends to tell her how close to having a warrant put out for someone's arrest due to the codes violations we've come in all this. See the place 'as is' and I'll take the hit. Oh, well.

My plan for the Holidays is to knit my sweater. Remember the sweater? I'm making some slow progress. Like the rest of my life. Slow. But it is progress.

Quiet times

Given that Honduras is not a quiet country, I seem to be in some quiet times. Not a lot going on. I am cleaning my apartment and sorting. I pulled out my sewing machine today, but haven't gotten the courage to actually start doing the mending. In order to justify putting that off I have gotten a lot of cleaning done that I had been putting off. Since this is not a blog about cleaning and laundry, I just don't have a lot to say. Work is equally quiet. So, I'll enjoy this while it lasts.