You know that vacation must be coming to an end when you start to think about all of things you have to do. Mike paid bills today (he does that about once a week using our bank's on-line check paying service) and I exchanged e-mails with my sister about arrangements for our arrival back in California next week. We will be dog sitting for five weeks when we get to Palm Springs while my mother and sister go on a cruise through Asia. They are packing and getting ready and if that wasn't enough, my mother sold the family homestead this month and is closing escrow at the end of this week. She is packing her clothes for the trip and twenty-five years worth of accumulated belongings that are going to the new house where we will be staying. Originally the house was closing after her return and we were going to help pack, but it got moved up and she is doing it as she prepares for the trip.
There are certain things you can't do from the road no matter how helpful friends and family are. Our daughter-in-law, Dana has been opening our mail and sending us notes about our bills which has allowed us to keep up with them on the road. Things that haven't been possible:
1) the car came up for re-registration which requires a Washington exhaust emission test. The car is in Palm Springs awaiting our arrival. It will have expired tabs by the time we get it back up to Seattle for that emissions test. Let's hope we don't get pulled over.
2) the IRS sent a letter saying I goofed on the 2006 return and owe more money. I'm saving that little mess to untangle when we get home. Not to mention the 2007 tax return I get to screw up in the next month.
3) Mike has another trip to the doctor and pharmacy when we get back. We planned touchdowns in the US for every three months in order to refill the heart transplant medicines.
4) Working out is probably possible when you are on a six month round-the-world trip, however in our case it was unlikely. We needed our merciless trainer, Rose around to keep us on track when we lacked self discipline. We need to restart our workouts when we get back.
This morning we woke up with the thought that it is our last Saturday on the road for awhile (assuming that dog sitting in Palm Springs is not really on the road albeit it is not at home). What a Saturday it has been though! Warm and sunny. After breakfast of a fruit plate (sandia/watermelon; peach and something we could not identify) and two fried eggs with dark rich coffee con leche we sat out by the pool and read for awhile. Then we drove into town where a little town fair was going on. We went to three prospective ATMs before we found one that would replenish our meager cash funds. Then we walked around the little booths of crafts and barbequing meat. We had lunch at our little Peruvian restaurant where the entire staff came out to greet us. An hour nap, a little internet, some more pool time and then dinner. Life is good. Even if it is the last Saturday before we leave South America.
Deanne
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3 comments:
So you would go back to South America, hey? I've always wanted to go to Chile and we just watched a special on the country - it looks gorgeous! Would you go to Chile or Argentina? Lisa is planning for the day her company gets audited - she figures we'll need to flee the US!! Why do you think we're taking Spanish!! Anyway, love to you both!! See you in a week or so!! xoxoxo
It is 2:15 a.m. here in New York and I have just finished reading your blog as far back as Australia! I wish we had met earlier in your adventure so I could have been following along instead of catching up. More news from us via email in a few days.
-- Your former tablemates, Ginny & Jim
What a nice surprise to hear from both of you. So, Sue...to answer your question, yes we would absolutely come back to Chile and Argentina but we would skip Uruguay and Brazil on the next trip. I wait to hear how Ginny and Jim did in Rio but we were not impressed with the crowds and the dirt and the constant rain. They stayed at Ipanema Beach and we were at Copacobana, so maybe there stay was better. Argentina and Chile are beautiful with wonderful people. Plus, they have fabulous wines. When you go out to dinner, the marked up inflated price of a bottle of wine at the restaurant is $10 US. Argnetina is the cheapest of the countries and certainly not the dirtiest or worst. The wandering dogs will break your heart though. They are everywhere and seem to wander in packs at night barking like crazy.
Keep working on your Spanish. Only the expensive places have English speaking staff although the kids are learning English in school so by the time you get here it may be different.
Thanks for writing Ginny. I can't believe there was enough in the blog to keep you up late at night but I will take it as a compliment. Don't you like the photo I got of you at dinner? Feel free to download it.
Bye, Deanne
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