The albatross is still on the launch pad

n. pl. albatross or al·ba·tross·es

1. Any of several large web-footed birds constituting the family Diomedeidae, chiefly of the oceans of the Southern Hemisphere, and having a hooked beak and long narrow wings.
2.
1. A constant, worrisome burden.
2. An obstacle to success.



A fitting metaphor. Ever watch one try to take off? They are one of the most graceful birds in the air. On land, however, it's another matter. They actually must run several feet, often tripping and tumbling and having to try again, to get into the air. Add the other definitions and it all fits entirely too well.


We're beginning to feel like this is going to be our lives from now on. All work, no joy, laced with frustration. If you've ever sold a house before, you may understand why we feel that way. Let me regress a bit.


Much of what prompted our desire to move has been the economy here (very high cost of living), the lack of employment opportunities (top in the nation in unemployment last time I looked), and yes, the constant drip, drip, drip of the rainy skies. Don't get me wrong. I'm one of those wierd ones. You know the type --- we actually like rainy weather. Cat's the same way. But it's not the rain so much as the result of it that is getting to us. I recall, when I first came to the Northwest, telling my Mom that it is so green. Everything's green, including the sides of the trees and the park benches. What was mostly a joke then has become a curse now. With constant wet you not only get green but it's lovely cousins -- mold, moss, and mildew. Even the T-shirt that was funny before ("people from Seattle don't tan --- they rust") isn't anymore. The other byproduct of all that rain is rot. Not here but in a place where we thought we might be able to escape the city. We ran into so many problems surrounding it that we sat down and talked things over and came up with the decision to make a real change. There were only a few obstacles to that path and many possibilities. We both arrived at the conclusion that we really didn't want to continue on the current "career" paths we were on either. So why not start anew? Seems simple enough. There is only one major obstacle to be tackled. It also happens to be the main reason we've been anchored to the city. The house. Or maybe that should be THE HOUSE. It has taken on a life of it's own.

I guess our schedule was probably too aggressive and we only have ourselves to blame but some things we've encountered have left us believing this place has a life of its own so it probably wouldn't have mattered. Home repairs are a given when you own a house. Remodeling is common. Landscaping is normal. Spring cleaning is expected. All at once? Maybe not. That's what we've been through in the last few months. No big deal, really. Unless you take into account that nearly every effort involved not getting it done without first having to fix or change something else. Those of you that have been through this are probably nodding consent. That's always the way it goes. After a while these detours, which absorb more energy, start to take their toll. Sometimes, you get the feeling that the house is trying to prevent your departure. We're getting that way. For example: yesterday Cat was doing some last minute yard work. She was using the weedwhacker to trim the edges of the patio when it managed to pick up a small rock and launch it at the back door --- which happens to be glass. Safety glass. Uh-huh. Today it has to be replaced. We've run into this sort of thing every step of the way. Too much work and money. Now contrast that with the work I've done on our Airstream. Nearly everything works! I fixed the plumbing and we now have hot and cold running water. The refrigerator works great (wasn't too sure about that one last year). The old flooring has been repaired. Everything has been just smooth as silk. No major hitches or expenses. Even gettting the brakes serviced on the the truck set us back easily twice what I had expected to pay. It feels like it will never end.

But we know better. We contracted with a place called City to City moving which has a sister company called Door to Door. They bring you storage containers and give you several days to pack them. Much, much better than having to slam everything into a truck you're paying big bucks to keep each day. Cost is competitive. No contest on ease of transport. They come pick up your loaded containers and will store/transport them to your choice of destination. Far cheaper than the full-service places but with much the same convenience. We don't have a moving truck to drive and we don't have to get there as fast as we possibly can. Big plusses to us.

They came to pick up our stuff Saturday. We have our driveway back. Now it's a matter of runs to the dump and some last, few yard improvements. Cleanup is a big job but we look forward to it, knowing that it means we're nearly out of here. If all goes right, we should be able to pull out in a few days. Wednesday is our goal. We'll see.

After all the work we'll need the vacation not to relax but to recover. We're both worn out.