|
(Day 1035 IP) 30°F.
Eighteen days to home sale.
Overnighting in the garage
Although below freezing at dayspring, it warms up into the forties quickly. I go to the coffee shop for a cup of hot and the internet to upload many of the completed web pages. Next, I return home to get ready for the meeting. Just after twelve noon, Jim's sister calls to confirm our meeting in the afternoon tomorrow for paying the down payment to me.
At the meeting at the hall today, I tell several of the elders about the sale and my imminent departure so that they will have time to find one or more persons to take over my congregation responsibilities. I start with Mark and tell him that he will have to find someone to do the accounts, and he says Uh-un. but I reply, Yes, I sold my home. He looks as me and says I didn′t think you would ever sell it.
Next, I tell Dan that he will have to find someone to take care of putting out the trash. He looks at me funny and so I tell him that I sold my home. Everyone that I tell are really surprised and happy for me, even Frances who give me a big hug.
After the meeting, I go directly home to unload the jammer and clean it thoroughly because during the last couple of weeks, I have noticed that the condensation on the rear side windows has not been drying out.
First, I remove all of the plastic bins from the back and put them in the garage storage closet. Next, I begin to remove the towel curtains and find a little mildew on the sills so I bring out the bleach and gloves to clean up the back of the van. Then, I drive the van into the garage, close the doors and set the heater and fan up inside the jammer to dry it out.
This entire job only takes about two hours and soon I am putting all of the towels and cleaning rags into the washing machine to soak in a bleach solution. Finally, I take off my jeans and work shirt, put them into the machine and wash the lot. Then, I too take a shower, retire to the kitchen table, begin adding text to my journal and eating some homemade soup while the sound of the spin cycle provides a soft background melody.
At about eight this evening, I set up my temporary bed in the mobile and get horizontal. However, being agog for tomorrow causes it to take quite a long while for me to fall asleep.
(Day 1036 IP) 40°F.
Seventeen days to home sale.
Overnighting in the garage
Today, it is Day 1036 in Port (or two years and ten months) since arriving in Oak Harbor with the intention of selling my mobile home. Yes, it has been a long wait indeed, but now it looks like the sale may just go through.
However, until I actually see the money, I will continue to work on the burden with the purpose of lessening the amount I own. Clearly, I bethink the first time I did this, during the many months prior to February 1978 when I was preparing for the two thousand mile hike of the Appalachian Trail.
At that time, I had a whole apartment full of stuff to get rid of, so I invited all my family over and told them, Take whatever you want, well, except for my backpacking gear. By the time they were finished loading up their cars, much of my possessions were gone. After they all left for places home, I began to remove what remained to the dumpster until I could leave in my car with just my backpack.
Soon after, I met up with my ex wife, Becky Rose to drive me out of the city and then I gave her the title to my car. Only then, after becoming unfettered from all my things could I then pursue my new goals.
Even so, there exists my summer camp chest containing all of my keepsakes, which back then, was stored in my mom′s attic, because, like today, I have not yet acquired the ability to discard such possessions. Now, however, the chest is stored in attic at the home of my sister Susan.
At one-fifty this afternoon, Jim arrives with his sister, who has not seen the home and I give her the tour. Afterwards, we go to the title company to review and sign the purchase contract. Then, we go to the property management company for Jim to apply for tenancy in the mobile home park. Everything goes real smooth and I am back home by four pm.
The girl at the title company said that if all goes well, I will receive the money for the purchase of my mobile on the twenty-eighth of February. That gives me seventeen days to pack out which is probably more than I need, but will get right to work and try to get as much done sooner rather than later.
Now, with only two days into this final eighteen day Day, already, this seems to be the longest wait that I have ever experienced!
(Day 1037 IP) 41°F.
Sixteen days to home sale.
Overnighting in a parking lot
I awake at six this morning and drive to the hall to put out the garbage. Then I return home to wait for the home inspector to arrive. He will be here some time around nine thirty to begin inspecting the home for Jim who said that he will be here soon after. When he arrives, I remain here during the inspection and watch and learn a little about the inspection process and to see what he finds.
Both Jim and the inspector have left and I am happy about the findings. The inspector told Jim that this mobile has been very well maintained and that it is in better condition than seven out of ten that he has inspected. He also gave good comments about all of the upgrades that have been done. He did find a couple of things that need attention but Jim feels that he can take care of those.
All in all, I now feel sure that Jim is going to buy the mobile.
(Day 1038 IP) 41°F.
Fifteen days to home sale.
Overnighting in a parking lot
Up at the crack of dawn and come inside to take a hot shower and find that there is no hot water. Immediately, I open the breaker box and see that the hot water breaker has been flipped off. The inspector must have flipped the breaker when he had opened the box to examine it yesterday.
I turn the breaker back on and walk back into the bathroom. Upon stepping back into the shower, methinks, I can do this, that′s why each morning for the last 1038 days, right after my hot shower, I take a cold one. It just a few minutes, I am completely comfortable with the
cold water, even when I shampoo my hair. Upon drying off and feeling clean, again methinks, I knew that I could do it but, a hot shower would have been so very much nicer.
Due to the need to stay home for the business of the home sale during the last two days, my normal ministry times were interrupted. So, in order to keep my auxiliary ministry going, I will meet at the ministry meeting today and tomorrow at nine each morning to help maintain my weekly goal. Now, since it is nearly eight-thirty, I must needs prepare for today′s meeting.
After the morning ministry, I decide that after finding the mildew in the van this past Sunday, everything gets a run through the washing machine. So, I continue washing loads of bedding, towels, and clothing before packing it all in there respective places. In reference to everything in it′s place, methinks that a science fiction television series from the 1970′s that I have always enjoyed, that is, Star Trek has had a major impact on my life.
2
In one episode, Spock was asked how he always was able to kept all of his things so orderly. In his Vulcan matter-of-fact voice, he said A place for everything and everything in it′s place. That simple but sage expression made so much sense to me that it has become the way that I have put to task with my possessions ever since. Also, this too has become
Life Lessons number Eleven.
Later in the afternoon, I get a call from the buyer who asks if he could have a contractor come by to work up a bid on some repair work, and I tell him that it is alright. This makes me think that the buyer is really looking forward to this sale, even as much as I am. Still, I have two weeks left in this final countdown, the one that began just last week when Joyce stopped by to look at my home and said that she wanted to bring Jim by because it was him that needed the home.
However, in a figurative sense, this Day began much earlier than that, even before the Countdown to retirement that has lasted
1369 days. It began the previous spring with the April 2008 study issue of the Watchtower which had an article about serving where the need is greater with the English field in Mexico. That is when I got the desire to Journey On and that was the beginning of this Day which now has only two weeks until it ends.
(b1a09-48c.20130213.1838) Evening Sunglow is Amazing
(b1a09-48c.20130213.1839) Evening Sunglow Becomes More Intense
At sunset, I go outside and I revel in the pulchritudinous display.
(Day 1039 IP) 40°F.
Fourteen days to home sale.
Overnighting in the garage
During the ministry today, like at other times with the friends, some ask Are you leaving directly for Mexico? I tell them, no, there are several things that I want to do before I plan to make the drive south towards the border.
Of the things I want to do, one in particular will involve travel off of this island to visit some of my friends I have not seen for a while.
Too, I am not sure but I could even be here for the district convention in July but, I will know more about that later. Also, I would like to do some camping in the mountains, but I could go on and on about my wants.
I suspect that it will be some time this fall when I actually cross the border to head south to where the Mariposa are, hoping to arrive about the same time when they arrive, which is about early to mid December.
(Day 1040 IP) 40°F.
Thirteen days to home sale.
Overnighting in the garage
I keep thinking of how slow these days seem to pass, that I am still in the double digits of the countdown and how I am distracted from my routine in anticipation for the upcoming events.
So, for a break from the waiting, I join Mark and Cheryl for some outside work at their home. Mark is still clearing his property and I help with the moving and stacking of split wood during the morning. The afternoon is spent collecting down branches and debris and moving it to the fire pit.
At five pm, Mark and myselƒ start the fire and afterwards, while he and Cheryl go in to study the Bible with a student, I add the branches and debris to the fire to build a bed of coals. Shortly after six, they all come over to check out the fire. When the student leaves, Cheryl goes inside to prepare supper and Mark and myselƒ sit by the now very hot campfire with the dogs, Charlie and Max. Soon, Cheryl brings out two hot plates and then goes back for her plate.
Dark now nearly upon the horizon, the waxing crescent moon shines high above in a star-filled sky while the bed of coals work hard keeping the ingress of cold air from reaching us. Later, the upstairs tenant with her daughter walk out to the fire carrying a large stack of boxes for burning.
Then they both take a place on the benches which I earlier set up in a semicircle around the campfire and we all talk about the wonders of God′s creation.
(Day 1041 IP) 41°F.
Twelve days to home sale.
Overnighting in the garage
Up at six-thirty and go inside to take a hot shower, prepare breakfast and work on my journal entries. At ten-thirty, I arrive at the property management office to sign a lease transfer agreement and then call the buyer to let him know that my part of that document is completed.
He says that he may drive over to get it done today also. Later, just after noon, the buyer calls and tells me that he has also signed the document and now it is complete.
What is next is for me to deliver the title to the escrow company and for the buyer to deliver the money, which should happen on Monday the 25th. With that done, I will be able to pick up the money on Thursday, the 28th of February.
(Day 1042 IP) 40°F.
Eleven days to home sale.
Overnighting in the garage
Maybe my thermometer is stuck because I have noticed that when I come into the mobile each day this week, the outside temperature has been hovering at 40°. However, methinks instead, that spring has started, especially since seeing all of the budding trees, some even already flowering and the numerous bulb sprouts coming out of the ground, some now three to four inches tall. I am happy for this change of seasons and for the warming trend that has been going on.
However, just two years ago on the twenty-third day of February, I awoke to eight inches of snow and over the next week of snowfall, we received a total of about eighteen inches. Too, not only was that a record breaking snow, but a record breaking winter with three separate periods with heavy snowfall. Unlikely, but true to being this far north, it could snow here as late at the first part of March in any given year. But I will not go on about snow because prefer it not to do so this year, so enough with the weather reporting.
With the sale of my home, the realization of the inevitability of the upcoming Journey On is slow to grasp. Still, I strive to maintain some semblance of routine in my daily schedule to get me through the moments. Much thought has gone into the subject of this Journey On, that is, when I actually do begin the journey to the southern parts of this continent and I desire that my travel will only be for part of each week while stopping often for the meetings and even to participate in the ministry. By connecting with the growing number of free WiFi locations to use the Kingdom Hall locator at jw.org, I hope to keep informed with where the next congregation is and the meeting schedule at each upcoming hall.
Meanwhile, while still harbored at this island, I will participate in the ministry often, join in the memorial invitation work and make myselƒ available to work with the pioneers. Also, any other time will be used to finish up the congregation accounting folders. Furthermore, there is personal business still needing to be completed, after which I will say my good byes and then begin the Journey On.
As it stands, the final business to complete is the transfer of the property management of my friend′s rental home over to a management company, which is scheduled to happen sometime in middle to late July. This gives me about five months, which should allow me plenty of time to dispose of much of my excess possessions.
Too, this will allow me to make several initial short trips to those national parks that I have been wanting to visit.
| 
