PACKING FOR THREE

We are starting to wind up... most people wind down...I am a last minute person, and Randy is a lets get it done and just cruise to the end... well we cant because of weight contraints and really not having that many clothes... honest I dont...so I cant prepack like Randy did. He is recycling his clothes because he has already sent most down in previous trips made by our friends who already live there.

We are taking the speakers to Cuenca. Each speaker weights 39 lbs.... not much math to be done on that one...

Our friend Eddie, noted in the photo above was going to keep them for us for a later trip, but you seen he is using his good lowering technique to return them to us.

We are packing within each item that has a hole.. the shoes are filled with socks and tshirts, all the crevices around the shoes are packed with other tshirts... I wear alot of tshirts.

 I was getting some excellent advice from Randy, he has appointed himself the Manager of Packing, and it making sure that I get all my stuff that I want to take in the suitcase, if it weights in under 50lbs.

 I thought I did good.. there were somethings that I figured I didnt really need, and it seems that no one else wants them either because I tried to sell them.. Here are the "Left Behind Shoes"

We have ripped up our house and its pretty trashed, but I feel like we really started to dig in and become serious about getting ready... its starting to become more real when I see the things that are going to others or to Good Will.

Also we are not only getting our stuff ready, but our daughter Kelsey is coming this Monday to pack up her things, as well as our household items to take to her new apartment.. so we have her boxes and "things" we are giving to her.

There is more to do, and luckily we have time, but our pile of things to leave behind is gettin larger and larger, and I think our friends will be sweet if they do take alot of our "finds" and "treasures", but if not, we are totally ok that someone else will be enjoying those items.

We have our reservations for our tickets, our hotel in Quito, our appointment with our attorney Gabriella, and our reservation at the Inca Real in Cuenca. The only thing left to do is in Ecuador, and we are good with leaving that till we get there.

RANDYS RESPONSE.

Well after reading this Randy has told me that I do not have two full suitcases to fill will odds and ends. He had determined that because we have two suitases already in Cuenca, he is taking his Sterio equipment. This will take up 1 1/2 suitcases... operative word here is HIS stereo equipment. I believe he will have 1/2 of a suitcase for his clothes.

Oh, and now he informs me that he has purchased 3 more boxes of cigars. This makes a total of 8. His response to the why??? was that he will need to be a good host when he begins his "Dinner at the Kimblers" get togethers in Cuenca. These cigars he believes will be our "entre" into Cuenca life. I have yet to remind him that very few folks smoke cigars, I think its pretty useless at this point. But again.. these are his cigars. So I guess he better hope the two suitcases down in Cuenca have some of his clothes in them!

TRAVEL, SELLING AND SUMMER

We have been so wound up in our progress, that we did not realize that we were running our of time to hang out at our favorite place. We call it "Disney Land for drinkers" the actual name is McMenamins Edgefield. Edgefield is in Troutdale Oregon. It used to be a Poorfarm and then a Restirement home, and I think at one time also a "insane asylum"... or is that only when we visit??? This place has a working distillery, winery and brewery on site. Over 7 bars, a spa, massuse, 18 hole golf course, a movie theatre, and 2 4 star restaurants. May 5th & 6th we took off in the middle of the week because the weekends were booked solid. So we invited some friends and WAHLAH... we had a weekday get away with friends.

The only things that we had left to sell were our wine fridge and my car. The wine fridge was pretty empty anyway.. we aren't big white wine drinkers and we have drank all our good wine long ago... so I put it up for sale in my local work newspaper. Its a great way to reach 2000 immediately each Tuesday and Thursday... and you know that they all have security clearances! Also, the ad cost $1 a day, no word limit, and all the money is donated to March of Dimes . A great deal for all concerned. We sold the wine fridge several times over while we were out of town, due to my forgetfulness to not place the ad before we went on our weekday get away. Then we got down to brass tacks and decided to put the car in.. my baby. I have never ever had a brand new off the show floor car.. this was it for me..(Thank you Randy, you are about the sweetest man I know) a cute 2007 Toyota Yaris. Well we sold it in one day as well... so today we said goodbye to it and pocketed our "cash for traveling to Ecuador".

We are really happy to laze away today on our scooters, and enjoy the 80 degree weather. It has been so rainy here that we  thought maybe we were confused with Seattle... nope, our nice sunny weather showed up with a vengence. This was my Friday off, so while we knew that we had the car deal later in the day, we zipped out on our scooters (150cc Vespas) to our local private coffee place, Barracudas. It has a nice east facing wall that is perfect for Mr. Kimblers cigar habit, and I can find a spot somewhat out of the smoke zone to sip my Chai Tea, and read the paper. Today we had lots of company, folks that are regulars at the coffe shop who over the years have become "nodding aquaintances" Today they were talking aquaintances.. We chat to all who will listen about our Ecuador adventure, so they are well aware that we are leaving. It was quite touching to hear them say they would miss us.

Today after the coffee klatch, I headed for some serious "tossing". I was serious, I was strong, I was sad... yep... sad. I found my daughters little tooth that I have saved all this time... I threw it out. I found notes that the kids wrote to me when I was sick. Encouraging me to get well so I could play with them.. My son wrote specially as "spcllcly"... ah I did not throw that out... its just some  bits of paper, but the memories and love attached are so wonderful. I think I might give them back to the kids..maybe. All these things escaped the major cleanout, so now I am down to the real serious stuff. Its getting harder. But I do know that we have two suitcases already in Cuenca, so I have two whole suitcases to fill... I may not have any clothes to wear. I might only have scraps of paper, oddly shaped ceramic pieces, and photos of children with missing teeth..

LONG WEEKENDS, PACKING AND DRIVING

This weekend was my "Long Weekend". I work what is know here in this town as 8/9's. I work 9 hour days with every other Friday off, those Fridays that I do work are "short" days.. I only work 8 hours. My day starts at 6 and I get off work at 3:30.. so its really not a bad schedule. That said, I really do look forward to my Long Weekends. This Friday we went to Ellensburg, WA to visit with a friend I have met online who has returned home from teaching in Loja, Ecuador. We had a very nice visit over breakfast, and my daughter who is attending Central Washington University, also joined us. Kids, they will never pass up a free meal!

After we picked our new freinds brain for two hours we let her go and promised to get together with her again before we left for Cuenca, she smiled and said she would like that, but as she hurried across the street.... I really wondered if she really was as excited about getting together  as we were... :-)

We had hung out long enough in the restaurant, that in the interim my daughter had left, attended a class and was now ready to be picked up so we could go see her apartment that she and her current dorm roommate were going to move into in June. The apartment was very cute, small and newly repainted and carpeted so it was going to be a perfect place for them. My daughter is "inheriting" all of our furniture that we have not sold to others.. which is still alot. So she wanted us to see the place and determine if it would fit...I am thinking its all going to fit like a size 7 shoe on a size 9 foot... but what do I care, she will have the fun of making it work.. I'm getting it out of my house and I dont have to move it!

Randy and I have polar opposite feelings about transportation once we get to Cuenca. Randy is a two wheel guy. He loves any type of two wheel motorized mode of transportation. That said, he convinced me that I too could love them. I tried, honest I did. I took the motorcycle safety endorsement classes, I barely passed. Then I bought a scooter because the little 250 motorcycle he bought me was too scary. I did learn to love the scooter and have happily gone on many long trips on it, and I would never have met Chuck and Nancy if we had not been out riding our scooters, saw them and ended up pulling over to organize an impromtu coffee meet and greet. So yes, two wheels have led to many friendships and good memories. But when I get to Cuenca, I am not driving... two, four or 20 wheels...nope. I am really looking forward to letting someone else worry about getting me there, and also I will not be reminded that I am not in the proper lane, or my speed is not considered fast, or slow enough... yes, he is a bit of a micromanager where that is concerned. I do love the man but jeeeeez.. drive the car if you dont like how I do it.. so THIS is my one wonderful thing that I am looking forward to! I am sure that he will have to file a disclaimer somewhere here to support his managment style (he WAS a manager in his professional life), but believe you me, this will open up a whole new relationship for us.