New Goggles And My Morning U-T

It's as if I'm wearing new goggles, seeing the world in a different light.  From my ocassional walks down into Murray Canyon along Mission Center Road, to having ice cream with Kelli and Jared and Henry, to simply enjoying the great weather we are having, I think about how soon I will be 2,500 miles to the north, not able to enjoy these now-ordinary events, which are now not so ordinary, and need to be especially appreciated.  I continue to think about what a drastic change this is going to be, trying to keep focus on the positive aspects.  

I'm going to miss my morning Union-Tribune!  That may sound strange, but it's a 50+ year habit, and one that helps me stay abreast of local news.  Redistricting, city council elections, the race for mayor, all happening right now, too.  I'm hoping I can get a mail subscription, but expecting it will be delayed by a few days.  I still like reading the paper vs. just using the Internet:  it's a little hard to look up a story if you don't know it happened! 

We are still on pins and needles about the Dream House, waiting for the owners to finish a road trip so we can finalize a lease.  This is the single biggest factor for us moving forward:  how much furniture will we need to haul up there; how big a U-Haul truck do we need; what do we take with us, and what do we buy once we get up there; if the lease falls through, the days are passing by, we need to scramble for another option.  We can't reserve a truck until we know, we can't make reservations on the ferries until we know what size vehicle we'll have, etc.  Hopefully we will have the key housing issue nailed down today or tomorrow.

We did get one big task finished yesterday, a health check and shots for the dogs.  If we have to go into Canada on the way, they require that the dogs have been vaccinated at least 30 days previous, so although we got it done, we won't be able to take them in until four days after Kathy has to report for work.  If we decide to catch the ferry in Bellingham WA, then it doesn't matter.  Otherwise, we could split up, and she continues on her own and I follow with the dogs.  The Alaska Ferry out of Bellingham seems like the way to go, but it's a 38-hour trip, in which the dogs remain in cages or in the car on the vehicle deck, and we have very limited access to them.  38 hours is a very long time, even considering that is over two nights.  We are still grappling with this choice.  

House repairs are moving ahead, as are Spring Cleaning and some packing.  We should make more good progress today.