Hallelujah!
Tomorrow afternoon will be our Official 'On The Road' Day.
Last Friday's buyer nonsense set us back: we expected a check … and got another disappointment instead. We had to reschedule buying the pretty red 4x; and lost out on a 5th Wheel buy in Creswell-OR, as well - so, I did an internet search for a new 5th Wheel, and chased a smokin' deal all the way to Indiana, where the price for the 5th Wheel we were now focused on, was considerably cheaper. I asked Holland if he'd consider driving there to nail the deal down, and he said "Yes! If we can save that much money, you bet I'd do it."
So, that's what we're going to be doing very shortly :-)
Holland has been wanting another dog (he had to put his down, in December 2022); but all the dogs he wanted {"to keep you safe"} were killer dogs, and I nixed every one of them. I do not like german shepherds, rotts, or pits: these are the breeds he wants, for the very reasons I do not want them. Plus, those breeds stink. He was getting frustrated with every nix. I agreed to a Husky because the pups are adorable, and the dogs are kinda gentle, and pretty much stink-less: but the price for one was crazy steep; and Holland nixed that. He suggested a pound dog, and I nixed that, "No. 98% of those dogs have been abused and will come with baggage that may never get sorted out. If we do get a dog, we should get a puppy; and that way it's not going to be mentally twisted and mean. We can train it, and steer it's behavior in ways that suit us and our lifestyle." He said, "Okay we want a dog, and you want it to be a puppy that is hypoallergenic - let's see what I can find on Craig's List."
That is how we came to have our little furry traveling companion, Bleu :-)
Yesterday was a Banner Day - everything happened a day later than anticipated because the Buyer's Loan Agent was an ass … but, we finally got the ball rolling today.
1) We got the 4x we wanted: bright red and a BEAST 😁
2) We sold the Highlander to Car Max, in Vancouver-WA, for a very good price; it was worth it - and then some. The Highlander was the last remaining thing in my life, from my life with Bob. We could not tow it without damaging it's mechanisms; plus, now Holland and I can start our new life together 100% New 😉 Holland has also sacrificed things that meant a lot to him. We are both learning to bend so that our marriage can be strengthened - thereby enriched 😘
3) Late last evening, we drove the Beast to Olympia to collect our 7 week old furry {son}, who we had intended to name "Kid" after sharp-shooter, Billy the Kid; but when we saw him (a blue heeler) Holland said, "He certainly is blue." And that's how our fur-baby got his Name: "Bleu" (yes, I did spell that correctly; it is French for blue).
He is a lovable character, and will be spoiled rotten 🥰
Today … Holland is installing a fancy stereo-GPS system in the 4x; and putting a 5th wheel hitch, and brake control thingee in the 4x, with the help of his best buddy, Tim: they are going to miss each other a lot - but we will be back here every September & March: it's not like we will be dropping off the face of the Earth. Finding a way to see my friends when we jog back up this way, will be trickier now that we have the Beast: Ramona's driveway is tight, and the Beast is long and huge.
Shay stopped in to collect her Realtor's Lock Box, and left a gift for us - she's so special to me. I am glad we are friends.
If everything continues to go smoothly, we should be heading to Indiana to collect our 5th Wheel, tomorrow morning 🙏 - we can get one, now that we have the Beast. We are driving to Indiana, rather than buy a 5th Wheel locally, because there's a $17,000 difference to buy one in WA, or OR. I'm always up for a looong drive, and Holland is always on the lookout for ways to save $$$$. It's a win-win situation ;-)
In the meantime, I'm doing laundry, finishing up last minute packing … and enjoying "the baby" :-)
