From the Boatyard to the water
June 4, 2010
We arrived Friday, June 4th at Mary and Vaile, Francie’s parents’, home in the afternoon, which signifies the end of a difficult process and the beginning of a new life. Mike hobbled out of the car because he opted for surgery rather than go to his last day of school. The doctor found 4 hernias; Mike felt that he was getting a real bargain, four repairs in one day!
Thursday was our last night in the house. While surveying the empty rooms, we looked at each other and said at the same time, “What did we do?” I assure you it wasn’t the first time we were simultaneously struck by that statement.
The whole process started when we listed our home the beginning of April. On Saturday, April 17th, we were going to the boat to work and someone was coming to look at the house. It was only the second week the house was for sale and already it was driving us crazy - the daily cleaning, making sure no personal items were left out. We have never sold a house before and didn’t know what to expect. As it turned out we had no idea how lucky we were going to be. Anyway the couple asked to come back later in the afternoon. When we come home from the boat and were cleaning the boatyard grime off, Francie was daydreaming that the couple who looked at the house today would offer a good price for the house; they would want us to move out earlier than we wanted; and they would have a cleaning crew come in before they moved. We laughed at ridiculousness of the idea. No one sells their home in two weeks in this housing market. We had wine and made dinner.
Our agent called later in the evening to confirm the first two parts of the premonition. We were offered a good price for the house, and they wanted us to move in the middle of May! The couple returned the next day during a scheduled open house. After a little negotiating Sunday afternoon we arrived home from the boat, our house was sold. The only disappointing part was no cleaning crew.
Well we have managed to retire, close our house and have surgery all on the same day. Our first day of retirement, Mike slept the entire day. Given the frantic pace of our life recently, it was surprised that Francie didn’t sleep the entire day also.
Friday morning our son Pat took Mike to the hospital for surgery and Francie took pictures and said goodbye to the house. After surgery Mike said everything was fuzzy excepting arriving at Francie’s parent’s house in Indiana.
June 21, 2010
It is hard to believe we have been retired for a little over two weeks. We rested the first week primarily because of Mike’s surgery. We visited with his mom and dad in Michigan. It was fun to see everyone. When we went shopping, it was with the boat in mind. After a few days rest, we were ready to tackle boat projects that had been left since mid March.
We have worked every day since Saturday. There are days we celebrate our accomplishments and other days we seem to hit one dead end after another. Things are finally shaping up. Our friends have helped us with their mechanical and electrical expertise. We are trying to fix everything that we can think of that bothered us or needed minor repair. We keep telling each other that this is the perfect time to work on the boat and there is no need to rush. We are not so good at taking our own advice.
The repairs have a mind of there own and one little change causes a chain reaction of other minor changes which in turn creates another chain reaction. One little job explodes into 5 little jobs which keep growing bigger all of the time. Believe me, we have open and closed Pandora’ box multiple times. We always have lots to talk about on the hour drive back to Vaile and Mary’s home in Valparaiso.
Being homeless is a unique experience. Mary and Vaile have been extremely gracious. We have taken over the basement. Our computers and files fill the ping pong table. We are gone all day and are exhausted when we return. Our plans for losing weight this summer have been sabotaged by Mary and Vaile’s cooking.
Do you know that all boxes look the same, especially after packing them weeks earlier. We arrange our boxes multiple times looking for particular items with me muttering, “I know it was in a box that looked just like this one.” Like I said homelessness is an experience after living in one house for 17 years.
June 29, 2010
The end of life at the boat yard is drawing near. This Thursday the boat will go into the water. The list of projects that we began in the fall is finally completed and we are pleased with the results. We have just two more big jobs – run the wire for a new wind instrument and apply one more coat of bottom paint.
We plan to take the boat down the river on Friday and get the mast put on at a boat yard in Calumet Harbor and attach the radar pole at the same time. Then it is on to Hammond Marina. It will take us several weeks to get the boat organized and provisioned. We hope to slow the pace down. Once again we are indebted to our friends who certainly came through when we needed help.
We are sad to leave Mary and Vaile. Mike will also be sad to leave the jar with an endless supply of homemade cookies. At the same time we look forward to having a place of our own.
July 3
We brought the boat down the river on Friday, July 3. It was a very pleasant trip and ended in Calumet Harbor where we put the mast up. Uneventful is good for a river trip!
Next the moving in starts! This is not a good feeling after all the moving, packing, unpacking and dealing with boxes in the last month. Our plan is to stay at Hammond Marina for at least two weeks while we get settled and then sail in Lake Michigan for the summer.
We arrived Friday, June 4th at Mary and Vaile, Francie’s parents’, home in the afternoon, which signifies the end of a difficult process and the beginning of a new life. Mike hobbled out of the car because he opted for surgery rather than go to his last day of school. The doctor found 4 hernias; Mike felt that he was getting a real bargain, four repairs in one day!
Thursday was our last night in the house. While surveying the empty rooms, we looked at each other and said at the same time, “What did we do?” I assure you it wasn’t the first time we were simultaneously struck by that statement.
The whole process started when we listed our home the beginning of April. On Saturday, April 17th, we were going to the boat to work and someone was coming to look at the house. It was only the second week the house was for sale and already it was driving us crazy - the daily cleaning, making sure no personal items were left out. We have never sold a house before and didn’t know what to expect. As it turned out we had no idea how lucky we were going to be. Anyway the couple asked to come back later in the afternoon. When we come home from the boat and were cleaning the boatyard grime off, Francie was daydreaming that the couple who looked at the house today would offer a good price for the house; they would want us to move out earlier than we wanted; and they would have a cleaning crew come in before they moved. We laughed at ridiculousness of the idea. No one sells their home in two weeks in this housing market. We had wine and made dinner.
Our agent called later in the evening to confirm the first two parts of the premonition. We were offered a good price for the house, and they wanted us to move in the middle of May! The couple returned the next day during a scheduled open house. After a little negotiating Sunday afternoon we arrived home from the boat, our house was sold. The only disappointing part was no cleaning crew.
Well we have managed to retire, close our house and have surgery all on the same day. Our first day of retirement, Mike slept the entire day. Given the frantic pace of our life recently, it was surprised that Francie didn’t sleep the entire day also.
Friday morning our son Pat took Mike to the hospital for surgery and Francie took pictures and said goodbye to the house. After surgery Mike said everything was fuzzy excepting arriving at Francie’s parent’s house in Indiana.
June 21, 2010
It is hard to believe we have been retired for a little over two weeks. We rested the first week primarily because of Mike’s surgery. We visited with his mom and dad in Michigan. It was fun to see everyone. When we went shopping, it was with the boat in mind. After a few days rest, we were ready to tackle boat projects that had been left since mid March.
We have worked every day since Saturday. There are days we celebrate our accomplishments and other days we seem to hit one dead end after another. Things are finally shaping up. Our friends have helped us with their mechanical and electrical expertise. We are trying to fix everything that we can think of that bothered us or needed minor repair. We keep telling each other that this is the perfect time to work on the boat and there is no need to rush. We are not so good at taking our own advice.
The repairs have a mind of there own and one little change causes a chain reaction of other minor changes which in turn creates another chain reaction. One little job explodes into 5 little jobs which keep growing bigger all of the time. Believe me, we have open and closed Pandora’ box multiple times. We always have lots to talk about on the hour drive back to Vaile and Mary’s home in Valparaiso.
Being homeless is a unique experience. Mary and Vaile have been extremely gracious. We have taken over the basement. Our computers and files fill the ping pong table. We are gone all day and are exhausted when we return. Our plans for losing weight this summer have been sabotaged by Mary and Vaile’s cooking.
Do you know that all boxes look the same, especially after packing them weeks earlier. We arrange our boxes multiple times looking for particular items with me muttering, “I know it was in a box that looked just like this one.” Like I said homelessness is an experience after living in one house for 17 years.
June 29, 2010
The end of life at the boat yard is drawing near. This Thursday the boat will go into the water. The list of projects that we began in the fall is finally completed and we are pleased with the results. We have just two more big jobs – run the wire for a new wind instrument and apply one more coat of bottom paint.
We plan to take the boat down the river on Friday and get the mast put on at a boat yard in Calumet Harbor and attach the radar pole at the same time. Then it is on to Hammond Marina. It will take us several weeks to get the boat organized and provisioned. We hope to slow the pace down. Once again we are indebted to our friends who certainly came through when we needed help.
We are sad to leave Mary and Vaile. Mike will also be sad to leave the jar with an endless supply of homemade cookies. At the same time we look forward to having a place of our own.
July 3
We brought the boat down the river on Friday, July 3. It was a very pleasant trip and ended in Calumet Harbor where we put the mast up. Uneventful is good for a river trip!
Next the moving in starts! This is not a good feeling after all the moving, packing, unpacking and dealing with boxes in the last month. Our plan is to stay at Hammond Marina for at least two weeks while we get settled and then sail in Lake Michigan for the summer.