Good morning 4/30/08

Hello to everyone, Lee is in the garage so I thought I would take a minute to drop a line. Yes we found a Target yesterday and I am a happy camper. There are several malls within a half hour. I just need to get Bree and I out alone. I need my shopping buddies from RV Net (Judy, Sherry, Cheri, Terry and Rose) Lee only wants to go into the store buy what you went after and leave. You ladies know what I mean. LOL Well Lee busted me. I am suppose to be doing our bedroom. So I gotta go for now. Oh I will be leaving for Calif tomorrow at 6am. Talk to you all later.

Ventured Out...

Yesterday we got our Driver's Licenses... It was kinda cool we got them right then and Bri got a I.D. card also. The only thing they do there is Driver's Licenses to register the car and Motor Home is done by the county's. Shelia was happy she found a Target Store. We took the long way home from Hendersonville and drove 31w (which parallels I-65) all the way up to Portland. When I say up I mean up you are going up hill most of the way. Where we are is like Auburn/Sonora in the foothills but much greener. I tackled the lawn (AGAIN) only got the front yard done. I will do the back today. I need to find a truck and a riding Lawn Mower. We saw the Red Cardinal again this morning but he is to quick for me to take his picture..

All The Appliances Are In

This little guy/gal was walking through our front yard this morning and I was able to take his/her picture. (Kinda Cool Huh) While Shelia and I were on the back porch tonight BBQ'ing we saw a Cardinal fly from one tree to another. He/She was amazingly RED. I guess we need to buy a bird feeder. Hey Dad do you have any recommendation's on what kind to get?
Remember you can click on the picture and it will get bigger...


Today I installed the last of our appliances. We now have two (2) Convection Ovens (So Shelia can cook real fast and enjoy retirement more) ha ha ha. The Microwave/Convection matches the rest of the appliances perfect. We have Black appliances and white cabinets.

Finely.. I have some time to post

Well this retirement life is amazing. When do we get time to retire? We were told by many that once you retire you will not have any time. So far I find that to be very true. All we have to do is everything and we are done. We have been able to go out and check a few places. We went to a Mall in Bowling Green Ky. the girls were excited about that (so was I I bought a really nice Miter Saw at Sears). Yesterday we went to Hendersonville and saw the Brand New Open Air Mall there and that was very nice. (Shelia found a Target so she was happy). We had a small thunder storm come through early Saturday and it woke me up but it was nothing according to those on the news and it really wasn't. I spent my day Friday harvesting the lawns and boy let me tell you that was a chore. Our poor California lawn mower never worked so hard. It ran out of gas twice (just plain quit running 3 times) plus I filled the bag 3 times. Oh yeh I also bought a mulching Blade st Sears. Here are a few pictures I have taken. (Also misplaced the camera for a few days)

Yes Terry we made it.... Thanks for worrying

Today we spent so huge amount of $$$$$$ we bought all new appliances at Lowes...... Thanks to the profits from our California Home Sale... If it hadn't been for that sale this dream would still be just a dream...... It really is nice not having to go to work... (So Far) Time will tell if we can support our living off our pensions...

We made it

I am using my cell phone to connect. So I am going to make this short and I promise I will be posting pictures in the future when we get a better internet thats faster and keep you updated....... Just wanted to let you all know we made it and all are doing fine.............

From Little Rock to Portland Tn.

This is going to be short. Today we will travel 350 miles and by tonight we will be sleeping in our driveway... Boy the scenery has changed to rolling hills actually it changed in Eastern Oklahoma. You can see spots here in Arkansas where there is a lot of water that I don't think is normally there.

Take Care and Make It A Great Day.......

Who is this? (It is a Friend we camp with) course the picture is VERY old... I posted it here as a joke to him...

Well today we are in Oklahoma City. Visiting with Alex. He came by here before he went to work and will come back tomorrow and we are all going out to breakfast. Then we will leave for Tennessee and should arrive at our house Sunday late Afternoon...

Friday, April 18th Keith's Birthday (Shelia's nephew)

Happy Birthday to Keith. Well yesterday's travel was very windy. We had a strong head wind. So when we got gas we only made 6 miles to the gallon. Pooh!!! We stayed in Clinton, OK. Weather was all around us but we only got wind here and very cold wind at that. Today we will make it to Oklahoma City and visit with Alex. I would like to leave tomorrow after we have breakfast with Al but I think Lee is wanting to stay till Sunday. I just want to get to our new home. I want to visit with Al but I really just want to get to the house. This drive seems like it is taking forever. I know be patient.. This all seems surreal to me. Brianna says "hello" to everyone once she gets settled she will start writing again. Yesterday we stopped by the "BIG CROSS". It is a huge and I do mean HUGE cross out on I-40. Lee took pictures and I am sure he will post them later. Well gotta go. Talk more later.
Make this a great day
Shelia

Santa Rosa NM......

Great Scenery today traveling through Az and NM. We are in Santa Rosa NM..... The weather has turned cold and windy. We hope to make it to Elk City Oklahoma today and then to see Alex Friday in OKC.......

Day 2 Holbrook Az.

Brianna enjoying the inside of her eye lids





We played tag with this guy a couple times.. I think it was a Buick what year I have no idea.......

Sassy and her friends had a great day enjoying the scenery and counting the bugs hit the windshield. It was cool watching the scenery change from dessert to Pine Trees going through Flagstaff and now here to Holbrook with the wide open spaces...

Second day, Tuesday 4/15/2008

Good morning everyone this is Shelia,
Well I did not cry, well once when we said our traveling prayer. I will be going back in 2 weeks so it just seems like we are on vacation. Brianna is doing fine. We should be leaving here in about 2 hours once we get Bri up and eat our breakfast. Hopefully today will be uneventful also. Just moving on down the road.
Well gotta go for now. Things need to be done.

Day 1 Barstow.... KOA

We left Ceres around 11am and we are now in Barstow... I feel we made good time. I drove 55 most of the way and truckers did not seem to mind. Nothing really happened except we had dinner at a TA here in Barstow and it was very windy here. It has died down now and it is actually a little chilly. I took some pictures one of them you will see where we are and the other will prove how fast I was going.............Remember you can click them and they will get bigger



I will post here as often as I can as long as I have internet.....

Trailer is Packed and Ready

The trailer is packed and ready to go....... Thank You Richard and Kathy for all your help and support. The house is EMPTY and we are sitting here watching TV in our camping chairs and it is not comfortable at all... But it will all be worth it once we are on the road and aiming towards our new adventure. We are going to stay around here until Monday (we have unfinished business to take care of). We do not have to be here for them to pick up the trailer so we are going to head out Monday mid AM. It should be interesting emptying the trailer cause it is well packed to say the least. Well I am going to close for now. Not sure when we will be able to post again because we will be on the road. But I will do my best to keep you all up to date... Keep posting your comments so we know your reading.........

Friday Second Day of Packing

Good morning everyone, I think the reason I put in the day on the title is so I remember what day it is. My dad was right, he said "once you retire everyday is the week-end so you forget what day it is" how true. Brianna thought yesterday was Sunday and wanted to know why we did not go to church. She is doing okay so far. She just stays in her bedroom out of everyones way and works on her rug. I think once we get to Tenn and get ourselves involved with everything that the region has to offer she will be fine. WOW Lee and I both woke up @ 3:30 this morning then we tossed and turned till 6:00 when Lee got up then I got my behind up after the coffee was ready. Well Brianna just shouted "I'm out of the shower", so that means I have to go. Not sure when Lee will take down my computer it maybe today or Saturday.

Started packing the Trailer Today

Well the trailer arrived around 11:10 this morning and my Brother -in-Law helped me get started. At times the trailer does not look big enough and then it look to big. We got a quite done today and tomorrow we will do more. I have asked permission form my neighbors to park "Star" across the street and they said no problem. As I was telling them where we are moving they were Blown away because their Neice and Nephew just moved 6 months ago to Tenn.. Yep you guess it Portland. Talk about a small world. We will contact them when we get back there. Not sure what is going to happen with the pictures I posted but you can click on them and make them bigger...

Thursday, The day we start packing the trailer

I think we are really going to do this!! WOW the weather is looking pretty nasty. Hope it stays north of I40 I mean way north. I think I am doing better with the good-byes then I thought I would. Had lunch yesterday with three of my co-workers from MID who are a lot more then co-workers. They are Sheila, Mala and Carolyn. Carolyn retired a few years ago but we all try to get together with her when she is not busy. She is one very busy lady. When we said good-bye I was able NOT to cry. I just told myself that I will talk to them via emails and cell phones. We will need to see what happens once we get on the road. I purchased a lot of tissues....
I love the comments. Like Lee said it is nice to know someone is reading the blog.
Well I need to get going.
Make this a blessed day.
love you all
me

Last Lunch....... with it

I had a great lunch today with the I.T. department today. You talk about a awesome group of guys they are the best. When I worked in Building Maintenance I enjoyed working with them even if it required a lot of work on my part. In fact they would tell me I gave them Superior Help and thats what I wanted to do. Together we figured I was the S.H. in the I.T. Department...

Well we confirmed the trailer today it will be here between 8 and 12 tomorrow and then the fun begins.... By that I mean packing. We are so ready we have boxes everywhere and have been eating off paper plates for a week......

I guess they are having some severe weather in the middle of the country. I am sure the Lord will provide for save travels for us. We should be able to leave Monday in the AM or Tuesday EARLY. But I would rather leave Monday mid morning ...

Thanks for leaving comments now I know others are reading. I (we) will try and do somethings to make it interesting reading......

Bless You All and Make It A Great Day.....

Busy Monday... er..... Tuesday

Wow how time flys by. Today we went a visited my Dad in Redwood City and now I know why we left the Bay Area. I can some it up in two words Traffic and Traffic. My Dad is a very special man he is 94 and still lives by himself. He is beginning to slow down and it is driving him nuts. (who can blame him) But he still has his wits about him and has my sense of humor. I will miss him a lot even though I only see him once or twice a year. But you can believe when we come back to Calif I will go visit him first. However I will be able to call him every Sunday and it will not cost my a dime. Got to love Cell Phones with free nights and weekends.

When we got home I called ABF and the girl there was very friendly and said the trailer will be dropped off Thursday AM and we can cal them as early as 6:30am Monday to have it picked up... We plan on leaving as soon as it is picked up...

Please feel free to leave some kind of comment (that way we will see if anyone is reading this) A few have already and we thank them for it... I wonder if there is a way to respond to the comments? Hmmmmmm Yes we are still learning how this Blogging thing works.

I promise when we get going I will post some pictures and post them....

Things are getting close

Well we did some more packing (had to buy 2 more wardrobe boxes) where we are going to put all the clothes is beyond me. But it is not for me to say. After all what do I know I am just a man.

We said our see'yas at church last evening they had a pot-luck dinner for us and presented us with a gift card from Lowes. We will be able to use that there are many projects (Honey-Dos) in Tennessee. So needless to say I will be busy. It is a good thing I am retired. ha ha ha...

Make It A Great Day

Saturday busy day

Well as Lee said the moving sale went great. Did not make a lot of $$$ because we were just trying to get rid of everything. Well last Wednesday was Brianna's last day at school, I think. She keeps changing her mind. Bless her heart this is hard for her. She does not handle change very well and so her and Lee are at each other's throat. I am sure once she gets there she will be fine. Well Brianna spent the night at my sister Kathy's home so Lee and I are going out for breakfast. Gotta go.
Have a Blessed day

Garage Sale Went Good

Good Morning... Well the garage sale went well so well if fact we are not going to do it today. (The rest we are going to donate to our church of a rummage sale late in the year).

Shelia and I went to see Merle Haggard last night at the newly opened Gallo Center here in Modesto. We had great seats in the Upper Balcony. Merle only played for an hour which was kinda of bummer. But what he did play was a flash back all the way.

Now that the garage sale is over we can really work on getting things ready for the packing of the Trailer. (Yes Terry and Judy Judy Judy we are really going to move) It will be hard to leave all of the friends we have made here but life goes on and when we get there we are going to do our best to keep up the Blog. Shelia is now typing to it and it should be fun for you all to watch our progress. Terry and Judy Judy Judy you should start one to (you both can have the same). In fact someone could do a SAL rally Blog and then everyone could add to it.

Ok enough for now take care and Make It A Great Day....

Busy little bees

Well today started early we got up at 6:30 Lee had breakfast with friends from his work and I had an early doctors appointment. Brianna and I have been working on her bedroom. It seems the more we do the more there is to do. Will it ever end!!!!!!!Well right now we are having a Starbucks break then it will be time to get back into the black hole, I mean Brianna's bedroom. Why am I so stressed? We need to stop around 2:15 because Brianna and I get to go to the dentist today yippee!! Oh I really need to go..........bye for now

Going thorough dressers and closets

Well my dinner with the girls last night was great we went to the Elephant Bar. I had two drinks so I was feeling no pain and at times I had problems talking...
Today we get to go thorough all our clothes and throw away and put in the garage sale pile. We have little closet space in TENN. I do not know what I was thinking when I said OK for this house hehehe. My friend Carolyn said that since she has retired it is jeans and sweatshirts in the winter and capris and t-shirts in the summer so I will just get rid of all my formals and Lee's tuxes. Well as moving day gets closer the more excited I get. I need to get a large supply of tissues because I will need them once we take off. We got an email for Alex that he got to Germany ok and that he is very busy. OK I need to start nagging Lee, so I will talk to you later.

My 2nd Day with Shelia

Ha ha ha No Problem... She has finely seen the light and sees the advantage to making a list of things to do. We did some shopping today. I bought a big of packing peanuts thats about the size of a 10yr old for $25 and I did some work in the garage getting ready for this weekends garage sale. Shelia had dinner with some of the M.I.D girls so I bet that was nice. I plan on taking some pictures on the way to Tennessee and then I can post them so ya'll can share our trip....

April 1st Second day with Lee

OK we are still talking to each other...that is a plus
We slept in till 7am this morning and it sure felt good. Mondays and Wednesdays Brianna has an 8am class so we need to get up to get her off to school. Just got back from shopping and spending money. You know things you just have to have hehehe.
Well things to do people to see places to go so I will sign off for now.