It’s shortly after 8:00 am, and we have the laundry going in the building close to the business office. I’m still amazed by the software on my phone that allows us to pay for and start the washers and dryers. Now, back at our place, knowing we’re leaving for Taco Tuesday on Monday at the local VFW at 11:30, we knew we needed to get going early today.
We’re both showered and dressed for the day and have made the bed. I’ve even managed to get in a little more packing this morning, knowing we’re packing two ways: one batch for when we arrive in Minnesota, the second for the three days in California, and the four or five-day road trip.
As it turns out, we won’t attend Sister Beth’s 70th (anniversary of being a nun) Jubilee Celebration until June 15. At first, it was explained that only one family member could attend the event due to a shortage of space, so we thought we’d go early to see her. But yesterday, we received the notice that all the siblings and spouses could attend.
As a result, we’ve decided to drive to Minnesota from California. We’ll stay at a hotel from our arrival date, May 8th or 9th, check out on June 14, leave our bags at the hotel, take only enough for two days in Milwaukee, and then drive to Wisconsin for the event. When we return, we’ll check into the hotel and stay put until we need to go to Cleveland Clinic.
If we do it this way, we won’t have to pay for two hotel rooms simultaneously. With the high cost of hotels and all the fees and taxes, it makes much more sense to do it this way. As a result, we’ll never unpack when we arrive in Minnesota for the first month. We can easily launder the clothes we wore for California and the road trip and wear those again, never having to open our suitcases until we finally settle in after returning to Minnesota in mid-June.
We’d love to have been able to stay in a holiday home in Minnesota, but the prices were either too high or the locations were not safe. Our best option is to stay in a hotel with a kitchen and maid service since we could be there for a few months or more. Only time will tell.
Yesterday, we ate dinner around 3:30 pm, and by 4:15, we were at Margie’s home for the four of us to play cards. We had a great time, laughing and talking, while Tom won most of the games. I didn’t win a game, although I won many hands. It’s not so much about winning, although I’d like to, but the pleasure of playing with his sisters makes it quite enjoyable.
As of now, we’ve already switched the laundry to the dryers, and everything will be dry in about 35 minutes. Tom will pick it up, and I’ll fold everything when he returns, carefully sorting what we’ll take to use for the road trip and what we’ll leave in our suitcases for future reference.
We still have a lot of packing, most of which we’ll do tomorrow in plenty of time for our departure on Wednesday. Tomorrow, Colleen will drop Tom off at the Mesa airport to pick up the rental car. Today, he fill Margie’s car with gas and get it washed. We didn’t use it for more than 150 miles and are grateful for the loan.
As for posting during the road trip, we’ll try to post each day, including some photos we encounter. Driving to California is mostly desert, so there won’t be much to see, and we’ll want to get there in time for dinner with Julie. We have a reservation in Los Angeles for 6:30 pm. It’s about a seven-hour drive, and we hope to stop for breakfast in the first few hours.
Plus, we’ll get checked into the hotel in Santa Monica before we head to Julie’s house to pick her up for dinner. It will be wonderful to see my sister. It’s been at least four years since we were together.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, April 29, 2014:
