The "END" is in Sight

Maybe this title is overboard, so let's cut it back to a "major transition" is now in sight.

This is the first day of a new month and, as the old page came off the calendar, the "end" is right there. Bob will continue working up until the Thanksgiving holiday, then transitioning into a life of leisure :-) over that weekend and not coming back to the "8-5" world; sure won't miss the AM rush-hour nonsense.  Paige will continue working for awhile, but her "End" is on just the next page of the calendar. For the month of December, Bob will be her "gopher" and "going for" all the little things that still need to be done.

It is a combination of birthdays and insurance plans that keep us in Minnesota into the cold season. We got the Meridian out of storage and brought it home for winterizing this past weekend.  There now is antifreeze in all of the plumbing; the batteries are fully charged; there's enough LP to last us awhile when the time comes to run south.  When that time comes, I expect we will need two to three days for travel before flushing the antifreeze out and taking on our own fresh water.

When we first looked into the "Fulltiming" lifestyle, we heard about people selling their house and most of their "Stuff" and leaving within a couple of months.  That must be really hard to do since so much has to be done.  We really didn't want our transition to go as slow as it has, but one bright side is the chance to slowly break the mental bonds that some of our stuff had on us.  We've been selling/donating/giving stuff away for over a year but there is still more to go.  There really is an end in sight.  The "stix and brix" house has been on the market for over a year, with no activity of significance.  Paige has found a service that will keep it occupied and presentable for the Real Estate agents, so we will leave it in their care when we hit the road at the end of the year.

Last week Bob's office sent out an announcement to all customers, telling them of an Open House for a retirement party.  The response has been heartwarming.  Many of these people are much more than customers, they have also become friends.  Also over this weekend we have sent our our own announcements for a similar going away party to family, friends, and neighbors.  All these activities are on the same page of the calendar, reinforcing the view that a lot of "ends" are now in sight.