This is going to be rapid fire, succinct, and written with no attempt at grammatical correctness. We're in a Starbucks on the SW side of Eugene, in town to get online, check voice mail, and get supplies. So here's a quick update.
It takes 18 hours to drive straight through from Sun City to Elmira, OR, at least according to Google. Add in stops for gas, one stop for a meal (Denny's, the rest were drive-through and eaten in the car), and four 30 minute stops so I could nap. That adds up to about 22 hours of travel. It took us 25 hours. That means we spent three hours in traffic jambs.
I-5 for much of the way north is four lane divided (2 per side) with exit ramps miles apart. So if there's a bad crash it becomes a long narrow parking lot. The first, just north of Lake Shasta, was an overturned semi that spilled something requiring a hazmat team. They'd been at it 10 hours when we hit it.
The second was construction that req'd the closure of all lanes for stretches of time.
The third was another crash that shut down both lanes. (You know it's bad news with the semi driver in front of you gets out of his truck and starts walking around).
One of us was totally whooped when we finally arrived. The other one slept for 22 of those 25 hours.
How does she do that????? And then sleep through the night when we get here!
Everything works except the hot water heater. Cold showers are REALLY cold when the water comes out of a well.
The quonset hut that was her greenhouse has been taken down. A reciprocating saw is the third coolest thing in the world. It comes after BACON and Velcro.When we're back in July I'll get a dumpster - probably 20 yd - dropped off for this and other debris.
The brown panelling in the living room as been mudded except for one wall awaiting it's second coat. Then I'll put on some spray texture, prime, and paint. The texture bit isn't my preferred, but there are enough perfections from poor construction and decades of use that it's the best way to hide them.
The carpet and pad are gone from the living room and hallway.She had cats. That struggled with continence. So gross.
Under the carpet and pad, and apparently original, was linoleum. They removed it from 80% of the floor but I have to pull up the rest before I put down new flooring. This isn't a good pic b/c the natural light through the window messed the exposure on my cell phone camera and...there is a layer of dirt/dust on the floor that makes it ...gross. What you see to the right is padding remnants where the staples are that I have to get up, and to the left some of the original linoleum.
Oh, I also installed a new light fixture in the kitchen. LED unit. Cool.
I had planned to put down carpeting but I'm thinking laminate instead. I have more experience laying laminate, it's easier, doesn't require renting the stretcher and knee kicker.... I'll stop at Lumber Liquidators while we're here in town.
And go to T-Mobile to see about a booster so we have cell phone coverage out there. We're currently off the grid.
Everything else seems to be in order. Lots to do, but it will wait for either the July trip or after our move. The kitchen needs some work, the bathroom needs some work, and there's work to do in Fred. But it will all come in due time.
We'll leave here after lunch Tuesday for the drive home. That will put us through L.A. 12 hours later (assuming we avoid more freeway shut-downs), and home around dinnertime Wednesday. Sleep!! And Pam will go to work Thursday morning.
We're going to Cascade Presbyterian tomorrow morning.
One more thought.
Sometimes I wish I was Mormon. They've got this (nonsense) piece of their theology that says a Mormon believer can get baptized for someone that is not, and it's efficacious for that person's salvation.
The truth is, each one decides for themselves.
We know someone in the last weeks, perhaps days of their life. How I wish I could decide for them!
Father, by your grace please draw her to you.
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