First day home

Rose is up to (or down to) her old tricks...the dreaded accidents...right in front of Aleene this time. She is relegated to either the garage or the baby gated bathroom. We awoke this morning to her scratching at the garage door...to come in...this over the PSSSH machine that Aleene uses to drown out my snooring. Sure enough she had shreaded a piece of molding. It is not like she had to go that bad. When I took her out she waited until we off the property (shades of her old self) to let go of her morning water. Needless to say we are perplexed.

Aleene is at Habitat and I have various errands today. My list is long, but does not all have to be done today. I am having lunch with a colleague and former Davenport student who now is HR Director of a major company here in Holland. She and I first crossed paths ten years ago when I was teaching (one of the few times) in Holland. Five years later we worked on the board of the HR assn...and have kept in touch ever since. I am entertaining these folks as a "farewell" tour. We are beginning to wrap up here.

We are going to be gone most of November and from the 15th of December on we will be gone probably until about mid March. After that we will see if the condo has sold. For sure we are headed west in May with a truck load of goods...that should be it. We are prepared to pay for two if that need comes until we sell here. I guess we could rent, but my boys at Woodland see a relatively fast sale. Let's hope.

We were going to sell stuff here, but Aleene wants to take stuff with us and then use, give away or sell there. Those are the major items that we know that we will not have room for on Meridian St...yes, that is our new domicile...311 South Meridian, Newberg, that is unless we back out when we do the final tour in November. It is serviceable, but our plan is to do a small addition and over time upgrade the kitchen and some other things.

It is sad to have to wrap up after so many years here, but we are both in need of a new adventure and with the wee ones in the picture, we will have plenty to do. I talked with my buddy Dan from KC and he wants me to handle Portland and Seattle when I get there. That is probably as much as I will want to do and the side jobs that generates should round it out. Aleene likes the idea of my being gone only three days a month and then ready to rip the rest of the time. Of course, remodeling Merdian will be primary.

Enough...