TEN!

10 days to departure! I’m ready to leave now, but I’m really not ready at all. The house is a disaster, there is still so much to do, so much to take care of and so much to think and make sure. I have to admit, this is the second most difficult move in my life. The first was coming to the US in 1986 and now going back. I think I moved a total of 30 times, but this is much harder. Moving from one city or one street to another is easy. You put all your stuff in boxes at one location and unpack in the new location – DONE. This is different. We are not taking anything but clothes and important documents. What to do with the rest of all this stuff??? Constant walks down memory lane delay the process and the final decision. Dump, storage, or suitcase? Or maybe one of the kids want it – not very likely.

I found vacuum sealed bags are a fantastic space saver. I used to use “Space bags” but after a short time they started sucking in air. K-Mart sells “Smart bags” and those seals seem to be much better. It’s not easy to fill an average suitcase to 45 pounds without vacuum bags.

This afternoon we will retrieve the last parts of our medical records and work on some legal documents regarding the house and power of attorney for the kids to be able to take care of things on our behalf. Passports, tickets and rental car are all set and ready to go. I even found my old German driver’s license! It is still valid – not that anybody would recognize me, but I can still use it.

Toms van is just about cleared out while mine is still full with STUFF. That word is starting to irritate me severely….

Good thing, we had a few alcohol remnants kicking around. Tom had a shot of Goldschlager and I had a shot of V.S.O.P. Brandy. No more leftovers in the booze cupboard! LOL

EASTER SUNDAY

This might be the last BIG family gathering for a while. We will all gather at the family home, but I don't have to do any of the cooking :) Since I only have industrial size pots left our place is still the best location and the house served us very well for large gatherings in the past. It will be very different planning meals for two. I already find myself cooking meals for about 3 days instead of 1. Oh well, leftovers are always welcome.

After yesterday’s icy surprise it looks like spring again but I stepped outside and it is still really cold.

Tom printed the luggage tags last night and we have a final head count of the pick-up-team. Everybody has to have entry passes or the port authority will not let anybody to the pier.

AN EERIE FEELING

Yesterday we went shopping for Toms suits. We found some really nice ones and he surprisingly found and fell in love with 2 pairs of shoes. That is rare for him because he has a rather unusual size. Let me tell you, he looks really handsome all dressed up.

I won’t tell you too much – you’ll see it soon J. My gowns are in transit from the People’s Republic of East China! They have some very fast seamstresses there. I did not expect this shipment so fast.  

The house is getting very empty. Today the dining table was picked up and is now replaced with a 6’ folding table. Before you know it we will be sitting on borrowed folding chairs.  

I have one suitcase already packed and I continue sorting through/out more “stuff”. Today we did inventory of Toms closet. We have another huge pile of clothes for donation. 

I wanted to reheat some leftover spaghetti for dinner when I realized that I don’t have a frying pan anymore…. Oh well, it’s all manageable.

CRUNCH TIME

DEPARTURE is only 

44 days
1063 hours
63838 minutes
3830275 seconds away!


We still have so much to do and it seems overwhelming. Sometimes I don't know where to start and progress seems to too slow. 24 hours a day are not enough. Tom is now home all day and can nibble away on his and my to-do list. Help is always hard to come by especially when it is about making decisions on very personal belongings. I'm not very attached to material goods; Tom on the other hand has a hard time letting go of "stuff".

I'm starting to get a little worried about the timing but I have to stay positive that it will all get done. Stress levels are high and the fact that I lost about 3 weeks due to some nasty respiratory bug didn't help matters.

Meanwhile our new camera has arrived and we will be able to provide wonderful photos from all the destinations on our list. We decided on a Nikon - D5200 Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm VR Lens. So far we really like the test photos we've taken.

Our tickets for the transatlantic crossing with Cunard are secured and my evening gowns for the formal nights on board are on order. Suitcases are also ready to be packed and our wardrobe has been reduced to the absolute minimum.

The storage unit is slowly filling with important paperwork and a lifetime of pictures. Last weekend we emptied the attic - what an accomplishment. It's amazing what you find after 15 years. Now it's time to gather tools and see how many Phillips screwdrivers and speed squares, ratchets and hammers we accumulated. That should be interesting, LOL. Hopefully the snow and ice melts fast so that we can approach the garage. That thought is pretty daunting.

Today is another landmark day for me. I am officially retired now and have a lot more time to push forward.