Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Still Getting Ready ie: packing and down sizing

The momentum has increased on the packing and we now have tons of boxes to go into storage. We're not going to be ready to leave on the 1st of March but we are a lot closer than we were a week ago. Donna, Billie's daughter from Delaware has been here for a week and with her help things have really progressed. Don't know what we would do without her at this point. But all good things must end and she leaves for home at 7am tomorrow.

We have changed our plans a little bit. We are going to leave things in storage in California instead of trying to move it now. We just want to get things packed and then worry about moving them someplace else. It means handling things twice but it sure releaves some presssure that I was feeling.

Sold the black pickup yesterday at a great loss but it is finally out of my hair. Won't go into that cause it just expends energy I don't have right now.

Things are looking up in St. Johns, AZ. My cousin has moved in and has got the water well working and they are living in the house with running water. So no longer feel as much urgency to get there now. He doesn't call me as much with bad news now.

Found a car tow dolly to pull the PT Cruiser behind the motor home. More money than I wanted to spend (so what else is new) but that is one less issue I have to deal with. Now to have a place to put it until we are ready to go.

I will store my truck in the storage garage we are renting with the furniture and boxes. Still have to get the shell sold.

Everyone around here has been great and helpful. Hard to think we will not be around them much longer.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Still Getting Ready ie: packing and down sizing

Well, we are still frantically packing and throwing stuff away and giving stuff away. Seems like we still have a lot to do. But we have to be out or our place before 03/01/09. Don't know how we are going to do it. I'm one that needs to know what to do and when to do it but I am in a deep deep fog. There is still so much and so little time left.

My cousin has finally got the people out of the house in Saint Johns, Arizona but......!!!!!!! The place is almost destroyed. Floors ripped up, hot water tank ripped out, well pump and pipes ripped up, bathroom fixtures ripped out, stoves and flues gone and junk everywhere. I'm too busy here in Irvine that I can't deal with all that needs to be done there. Shorty, my cousin, is in Phoenix trying to get needed things so that the house is livable again. So I may need to spend more time in NE Arizona than I wanted. But then I stop and realize, WE'RE RETIRED, and not in any real need to hurry anywhere.

Every body wants to do things with Billie, which is great, but it takes away from the real tasks at hand. I just can't work as many hours on my feet as I used to, nor can Billie. And it seems like it is taking twice as long to sort thru things instead of just packing them. But it must be done because we can't take that much along in the motorhome as we would like. Eventho, we are taken a lot. We have a lot of storage underneath as well as inside. Of course, all that weight uses up more gas. I keep telling myself, this is just a short time and it too will pass and everything will work out the way it is supposed to. But being the planner that I am, I just get frustrated when things are not moving as I think they should be. I guess it boils down to that I just want to go!!!! Just another week; if we can hold out or our bodies can hold out. Whoever said retirement was easy; I think that was Carol Phelps or Sue LaBar.

It may sound like I am complaining but I really am enjoying it all; tho exhausted.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Getting Ready

You have reached Michael and Billie Brunk adventure blog. This month is packing and preparation to be full-time RVers. We bought a 34 foot motorhome and are hitting the road in the first of March 2009. The original plan was to leave March 1st to head to St. Johns, Arizona and check on the property and house there. The St. Johns property was bought by Mike's dad and his step mom. The plan as my father explained it, was to build an A frame cabin that people could see from the road. The property was at the T where the road from the petrified forest ended and the road from Show Low came by. His plan was to build A frame cabins for people in the White Mountains region. They lived in Phoenix and came to St Johns on weekends and holidays. He built the A frame cabin, then added on a laundry room and car port. Then added a living room and finally two bedrooms. He dug a well for water, built a pump house, a store room, a garage, a work room and a barn. The only things still standing are the house and pump house. A cousin of one of Mike's dad's friend has been living in the house for the last 10 years. He is moving out and Mike's cousin from Oklahoma is moving in to take care of the place.


So Mike and Billie's first stop will be to make sure the transition takes place smoothly. And of course we will do the touristy stuff and stop at the petrified forest, painted desert and other sites in the local area before moving on.