The Plan !

Tomorrow we leave at 10:30 am... hopefully the weather holds !  Everything is packed in the RV.  I have checked everything I can check.  All systems are a "GO"!  All the goodbyes to family and friends are done except Brent, Grey and of course the dog Roxy.We will do that just before we leave in the morning.

We will be stopping tomorrow, Thursday in Canyonville, Oregon exit 99 at the Seven Feathers Casino, they have an RV park, or Ashland, Oregon at the Wellsprings RV park.  Leaning towards the Wellsprings since they have natural hot spring pools and it is cheaper.  Not a big gambler anyways !  Friday evening we should be in Redding, California at the Sacramento River RV Resort if we can get through the passes. Saturday we will be in Santa Nella, California.  Sunday evening we should be in Covina, California to see the "family".  We are in no hurry!  If the roads are bad we will just chill and relax since we will have everything we need. No need to hurry since we have 5 months.

We will be staying in the LA area until the January 2, 2012. We have lots of family and friends to see plus I would like to do the touristy stuff while we are there. We have reservations for Delmar Beach Resort on Camp Pendleton, by San Diego, from January 2 to February 2, 2012.  We plan to store the RV there too while we go on the cruise on Feb 11, 2012 out of Florida.  After the cruise Andy will fly back to Portland, Oregon and I back to San Diego, California. She will spend about 2 or 3 weeks here in Portland getting her stuff done while I roam around.  I have no idea where I will be...since I (we) don't have any plans after the cruise.  I guess she will fly in where ever I happen to be.  I am thinking Yuma, AZ but then again maybe Dayton, Ohio... who knows !  I will try and follow the sun !!

I will post daily, depending if I have Internet, on where we are.

House Is gone !

Everyone and everything is gone from the house!  It was harder than I thought it was going to be !  I kept finding a reason not to leave..The floor wasn't clean enough or check this room again...this went on for over 2 hours. I checked...re-check and then checked again.  Knowing that once I shut the door it would lock, the keys and the garage door openers are inside, and I would never have that home again. All the memories of family and friends.  All those Halloween parties... the list could go on forever ! Finally I knew I had to go...so I left !  I stopped at the gas station and got gas and then to ThriftWay knowing that I would never be there again.  I have lived in that house and have been going to those business for 7 years and now it's over !  Seven (7) years you might say "is not that long" but for me it is the longest I have lived in one house or in one area in my entire life. Another part of me is glad it is gone..no more stressing over the house..feels like I am free...able to do the things I have been wanting to do for over 10 years. So as I sit here I am sad and excited at the same time.  A new chapter begins !

Choose A Life That Matters !

Ready or not, someday it will all come to an end.  There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.  All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.  Your wealth, fame, temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.  It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.  Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.  So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire.  The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.  It won't matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived, at the end.  It wont matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.  Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.  So what will matter?

How will the value of your days be measured?  What will matter not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave.  What will matter is not your success, but your significance.  What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.  What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example. What will matter is not your competence, but your character.  What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you are gone.  What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.  What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.  Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.  It's not a matter of circumstances but of choice.  Choose to  live a life that matters.



Given to me by my family !

One more week down and three weeks to go!

It has been a busy week.  Getting rid of stuff is an on going battle.  Deciding what to give away and what to sell.   The hauling of things to goodwill and to storage continues.

Andy never did go to "The cabin"... she and her sister had too much going on to go.  They were both really sad.  I am glad they didn't go because Andy was really sick Thanksgiving Morning...delayed reaction to jelly fish sting from Hawaii.  I went Elk hunting for just 2 days...didn't see anything...now I know why I never hunt Coastal Elk..Forest to thick,  lots of people and boy does it rain!

On Thanksgiving Brent, Adam, Falon and Kloee were here at Andy's home.  I cooked the entire dinner except Brent and Falon deep fried the Turkey and Andy made "Pumpkin Dump"  Deep frying a turkey is the way to go.  It cooks in just 45 minutes and the best tasting turkey I ever had.  I will never go back to roasting that bird again.  It can be a little pricey with the oil costing about 50 bucks but they say you can reuse it one more year.  Never heard of saving oil for a year but will give it a try. lol  HAD A GOOD DAY !

Brent signed up college classes which I am very happy about.  Been wanting him to go back for a year or so but I guess he had to decide "when" on his own terms,  I guess he is ready because he decided to!  Brent is doing well at Andy's Parcel seemed to catch on quickly.   Adam is doing good, they found a place to live since the house will be gone in 2 weeks.  That makes me less stressed out now that they have a place and a plan.  Starting to warm up to that little girl of theirs..don't know why yet but have a feeling I am doomed!  LOL

Maui, Hawaii, November 2011

The morning on top of the volcano in Maui, Hawaii.  Was very cold and wet but opened up at sunrise.  Andy said it was one the coldest she has ever felt in her life...oh it wasn't so bad... maybe because of my 21 years of Army training.  LOL

Just Before sunrise.

Sunrise !  It was well worth the cold and wet stuff.  It was amazing, just a few minutes before sunrise, the cold and mist just clears up.  They say it happens all the time!

We took the bike ride down from the crater...it was fantastic..downhill all the way baby! What A view all the way down.

From our condo the evening when got there..was a little breeze

The evening we arrived.

We took a evening ride on the ocean for dancing and a drinking....Great time with Andy's sister and brother.

Just having lunch in Lahaina, Hawaii

Hanging on the beach...snorkeling and soaking in the sun..what a difference between Maui and Portland.  Saw lots of fish and a Sea Turtle. I was loving this !!!  Can I just stay here please !

Isn't she so beautiful.  What a smile !

Saw a wonderful show called "Ulalena"....better than any luau !!!  We went out for dinner afterwards. What a evening it was !

It works finally !

Brent and Grey setting up the satellite receiver, Blu-ray. and the surround sound.  All installed...checked and ready to go.  Works great!  Even watched a football game in HD.  Thanks boys.  Dinner is on me !  Now we are off to Maui, Hawaii in the morning.

Clearing things out !

House will be gone December 9, 2011. Have gotten rid of lots of "stuff".  Mostly just gave it away to friends and family, donated it to Goodwill or simple threw it away! Yesterday Andy, Brent and I cleaned up and organized "Andy's Parcel Warehouse". We, Brent and I, are planning on storing a bit of our "stuff". Things like photos, papers, my raft and raft equipment, and other misc "stuff". Brent will be storing a few things in the warehouse since he will be staying at Andy's while we are gone... to kind of watch over the place and to keep Roxy, the Pit Bull, company. She is the sweetest dog I have ever seen...oh and so smart.  We wanted to take her with us on this adventure but she is not a good traveling dog. She just cannot seem to relax. So she will have to stay home. Very sad for Andy and I.

We do not have much time before we head south for the winter. Lots of things to do and get done! We have 2 slight detours first!

First detour;

Hawaii trip 8-15 November 2011. Andy's daughter, Briana, is getting married in Maui, Hawaii. This wasn't the plan when we booked this trip but it has worked out nicely. I know Andy is loving it!

Second detour;

Andy is going to her cabin in the mountains, Joseph, Oregon, during the Thanksgiving Weekend. She has been going there for years with her sister. No electric...gas...or indoor plumbing but they do have a wood burning stove to stay warm.   They use propane stoves to cook. Water they get from the mountain creek that runs right next to the cabin. All they do is read, take walks, talk and cook. These two woman can cook some fantastic meals.

While they are away in the cabin, I will be going elk hunting along the Oregon Coast.



So time is short...with many things to do, see and go! Can be overwhelming and exciting at the same time ! December 15, is still a go Houston