Almost ready for take-off

It has been a week of good-byes, and many wishes for fair winds. I got some great news that friend Sloth will ride with me to Muskegon and see me off at the ferry. I closed on the house this morning, and the buyers closed this afternoon. This was unexpected to me. Both previous times when I purchased, buyers and sellers were present at the same time. This worked out fine except that I had made a grooming appointment for Remy in Kalamazoo at 7:30 this morning, and when my agent managed to secure a coveted time for our closing it was at 9:00 a.m. SO, I took Remy to Kalamazoo, drove back for the closing, returned to Kalamazoo, and then back to Grand Rapids. I had loaded up my car with things that needed to be dropped off and delivered, and I spent the afternoon doing things like taking stuff to Goodwill, picking up an errant house key, taking legal papers to the City Water Department so they would take the water/sewer out of my name, picking up the check for the house ... so many things that I forgot to go to work at Grand Rapids Ballet at 4:30. I didn't even realize until Mindy texted me asking if I was on my way. And when I finally got there, they had planned a surprise farewell, which I totally messed up by being a half hour late! Way to go out with a bang!

On my way to see my East Congregational Choir friends last night, I had a thought that I have been living in a Grand Rapids sit-com for a long time, and now I'm going off on my own spin-off, and when I return most, if not all, of the characters I've come to know will still be here -- and I'll be able to continue to follow their lives through the magic of digital media!

I've also been thinking about how I started out to do this journey for me, because it if I'm going to profess the clarity of the still small voice, I need to follow it; but now I see how inspiring it is to so many people around me, even those who think I'm completely nuts. I see people's expectations of themselves in how they respond to the news that I am going; and I realize that, if I can help people to take some important risks in their lives and to let go of attachments, I can do this for more than just myself. At the same time, there are many people who go on lengthy bicycling treks each year. What I'm doing is, I think, only special to those who know me and see themselves in me.

I'd better get to work. The plan is to get the car and bike packed tonight, disburse everything else tomorrow, turn the car over to Tayler around noon, and spend the night at Sue's. 9:00 a.m. is planned departure time on Sunday. The ferry leaves at 4:45, and I need to board around 4:00. I have Rescue Remedy for Remy, and I tried it on the Kalamazoo trek today. I was amazed at what a difference it made in his behavior. I'm glad to have it.

Thank you, thank you, to everyone who has wished me well. You will all be in my heart as I travel on.

Oh, and some people have asked about the technical aspects of the ride, so I will talk about equipment and set-up in an upcoming post.

One week left!

You know that feeling that you've forgotten something? I get that a lot lately, especially as I packed up and prepared to visit Abby this weekend. It was pretty simple: make sure all of her tubs and boxes were loaded in the car in time to take Remy to his sitters' for the weekend and get to school on time. But I still had to pack my own bag, for only two nights this should be easy, right? And I guess it was, but I still had that lingering feeling I'd forgotten something.

I think maybe this forgetting feeling is based on the fact that, while I've carefully culled my possessions and saved the things that I think are important, I don't really know where things are. Yes, they're all in tubs and boxes at Annie's house or, in some cases, at my house; but where exactly? A good example is the stamps. Somewhere, I have a roll of forever stamps, but the last three things I've had to mail, I've had to either take to the post office for postage or borrow some from someone. And I have to sharpen pencils in the choir room at GVSU, because I got rid of my pencil sharpeners.

Once I'm on the road, I won't need a roll of stamps or a pencil sharpener, but I may have been a little hasty about sending everything on its way.

Friends are contacting me, scheduling meals and meetings, asking about seeing me off in Grand Rapids, or at the ferry in Muskegon. I realize that this is partly a way to experience part of the adventure with me, and also their desire to let me know that they care, thus taking a little bit of each one of them with me when I go -- as if I could leave them behind!

All this moving of furniture and possessions has been a bit bewildering for Remy, I think. Still, he knows I'm still there, and I haven't moved him, so he's okay with it. I'm not sure how he feels about being dropped off with Chris and Jackie and the boys for the weekend, but a photo from Chris shows him looking pretty comfy. He's really the biggest question in this whole plan. Theatre people warn about sharing the stage with animals and children because of their unpredictability, and I'd say that holds true here, as well.

I did get a little riding in this week. I rode about 18 miles on Monday, and about 32 on Tuesday. I had a great ride out to GVSU Tuesday morning, with a 13 mph tailwind. The trip back was a bit more challenging, though, after sitting for about 3 hours and then riding into the wind. I had some left hip pain for a couple of days -- nothing serious, just sore muscles -- but I think the lesson learned is to shift down even further. Lake Michigan Drive has some pretty daunting hills, especially with a  headwind, and I think I tried to take them too fast.

Anyway, it's Friday, and the hip feels fine. I hope to get some serious riding in tomorrow around Ithaca, after Abby goes to work. I brought my maps along to show Armin, one of my favorite bicycling fanatics, who lives in Ithaca. I will get his advice and feedback about my plans, as well.

I feel as though the next week will tumble by so quickly. It's supposed to be rainy next Sunday, but I have rain gear. I'm going. Yes, I'm going. Soon.

The countdown continues

I kind of ran out of time to write yesterday. Between continuing to work, saying good-bye to friends, and minding all kinds of details about selling the house, putting things in storage, selling items on craigslist, planning routes, repairing and cleaning things in the house, etc., the day got away from me.

So, let's catch up. The home buyers have switched their financing again, but we are all still hopeful that we can finish this up and get the papers signed before I have to leave. I had the pleasure of showing them (Katye and Trevor) around the planted areas of my yard and telling them what kinds of plants are there. In the process, I could tell stories about the history of my time here, and they are very appreciative, which I enjoy. I also was able to pass along a wonderful Winnie-the-Pooh bear for their future offspring.

I haven't talked to Tayler this week, but she has a lot on her plate right now, preparing to graduate and dancing in numerous end-of-the-year programs. I feel confident that we have little to arrange.

I had a heavier tire put on my bike this week, and next week The Freewheeler will add some handlebar extensions that they had to order. They also replaced the chain and did some general maintenance work. I'm so excited to get out on the road in this lovely weather, but some other detail seems to always be getting in the way.

This afternoon, for example, will be a furniture-moving time. My wonderful friend, Annie, is going to buy and remove my fold-out couch and matching ottoman. I'm also storing the 3 pieces of furniture I'm keeping at her house, so we'll move those at the same time: metal cabinet, IKEA chair and stool. She also has another couch to pick up, so I'll help with that.

Tomorrow is full of activities, as well, but if I can get myself up early enough, I can bicycle to Jenison to play the church service in the morning and take a long loop getting back before going to a recital at GVSU and a farewell dinner with friends.

Sometimes I feel as though I'm in a vortex that's sucking me into an unknown future, and the speed is increasing. I know that, on May 1, I'm going to get on my bicycle with Remy, begin riding, and keep riding for weeks. I know that I don't know much about what's ahead. I like this feeling. It's very freeing. Not owning a lot of stuff is liberating, as well.

By the end of the weekend, I should be down to just a couple of pieces of furniture, one set of dishes and a couple of pans, my packed bags for the trip, and a tub of clothes, most of which will be stored at the very last minute.

Some of the hugs I've been getting say: "I wish you weren't going. I don't know if I'll ever see you again." I try to remember that we never know when we say good-bye whether we'll see the person again. I want to make every hug like that.

Hugs to you all!

Adventures in adulthood

You'd think by age 60 being an adult would be a little more predictable, but I guess I've purposely not chosen a predictable life. This week, in the world of real estate, I was called upon to do two seemingly simple repairs that were not as simple as they appeared.

Fix the latch/handle on the slider door. It was a special-ordered door which I got a good deal on at Home Depot when the special orderer didn't pick it up. It's a great door, but when the original handle broke, it was near impossible to find another that fit the holes that were set into the door. I replaced it twice, and when the most recent latch stopped working, I just put a piece of wood in the door track, which seemed more solid to me, anyway. But I went to Home Depot with a model number, and I got a phone number for American Craftsman, the company that made the door.

Wow! What a great operation! The man I spoke with tracked down the handle that was needed and said it was still under warranty, so I only had to pay for shipping. He emailed me with updates, and I'm really excited to get the handle that belongs on the door and have it work for the next homeowners.

The other request was that I make the front window stop leaking. Well, that could be an easy fix, as long as the buyers don't care if the window opens or not. I mean, Great Stuff is a wonderful thing -- not very attractive, and pretty permanent, but very efficient. Yeah. No. Guess I'm going to have to give up more money for the buyers to replace the window. That's what I would have done if I'd stayed in the house. It was a pretty awful window from the beginning. Stuff kept breaking off. I didn't even try to open it the last couple of summers.

So, we're getting down to the wire on the selling of the house. The buyers have decided to go with a conventional mortgage, so I think that will move things along a little bit. I hope we can get this all taken care of before May 1.

I spoke with a lovely friend, Len Robinson, who's a financial advisor, and I'm going to keep my money as liquid as is safe, at least for the time being. It's great to have someone who knows his stuff helping me with this. Money has never been my strong suit. He also advised that I am eligible for "survivor's benefits" from Chuck's (my former husband, for those of you who might not know) Social Security, so I'm looking into that.

I'm cursorily looking into the possibility of selling or trading in the Toyota Camry, which has 223,000 miles on it. If I do, I'll probably go with something that I can sleep in the back of, so as I travel after Seattle, I won't have to always stay in a hotel. It might even work for Tayler, Remy and me if we have a few nights without a hotel along the way.

Paid a visit to The Freewheeler yesterday to look into a few items I still need: heavier tires, a spare that folds to carry with me, a couple of extra inner tubes, a handlebar extension to give my hands a few more positions, a handlebar phone holder, a solar charger (as a back up for my lithium ion battery that Alice gifted me with this week!), and a couple of handlebar or top bar carriers for snacks, maps, and water. Small things, but a lot of small things.

Everything is winding down at Grand Valley. I need to write the music for the exam combinations this weekend, so maybe it's a good thing that it snowed this evening. The weather looks a LOT better next week, and I'm looking forward to riding every day. This week, in spite of the cold temperatures, I prepared to ride on Tuesday morning to Allendale, but one of my brakes was frozen. I brought the bike in the kitchen, and about 15 minutes later it was thawed, so I started out again. In about a half mile, it froze again, so I gave it up that day. Thursday, I rode to The Freewheeler. It was blustery and windy and quite cold, but I enjoyed the ride. The person who looked at the bike in the repair shop couldn't figure out why it froze. Not too reassuring, except that I hope I won't be riding in below zero temps.

Most of the rest of the furniture will be leaving my house this coming week. I figure before the closing I'll be down to a mattress on the floor, my keyboard and bench, and the TV. I have moments of "what-the-hell-am-I-doing?!" but for the most part I'm comfortable with the choices I've made. I'll miss so many people, places, and things; but I'll be meeting new people, seeing new places, and doing new things. And I can always come back, if that's how life leads me.

Ups and downs of preparation

Another week has passed. Both roommates are gone, and it's mighty quiet around here. In spite of some of the difficulties I had with the last two, particularly, I don't know how I lived alone for such a long time prior to taking in my first roommate in September of 2014. 

Since motivation has been becoming an issue lately -- making myself get out and ride, and continuing to organize the stuff I want to keep into tubs and boxes for transport to Annie's, and getting rid of the last few items -- I visited my friendly, neighborhood naturopath today, and I already feel slightly better. 

I also sat down over dinner with Tayler, the person who has agreed to drive SAG support for me across the country. She is as delightful, thoughtful, and interesting as I had guessed from our prior brief encounters in the dance department at GVSU. Our intentions about the journey are similar, and I think it will be mutually beneficial. 

Since I really can't imagine what anything will be like after May 1, what I've begun to realize is how much we (all of us) make assumptions about the predictability of our lives. We assume that, because we've paid the bills we'll have the same place to come home to every day. And most of our experience bears this out. But we never know what will happen in the next minute. And now that I've cut myself loose from the predictability, I guess the certainty of the uncertainty is more present, more real. Sometimes I like this feeling, and sometimes I don't -- but I guess I'll get used to it!

I've been looking into co-housing, finding out more about what these communities stand for, where they are, and how people get into them. It's an idea that appeals to me, wherever I land. I've also been looking at possibly upgrading my vehicle before the trip. According to Gary, my trusted mechanic for many years, the Camry can make the journey; but it has almost 223,000 miles on it, and if I want to keep going by car after Seattle, I might want to get something with a little less wear and tear. If it happens, it happens.

Remy has had his checkup, and I've been visiting my health professionals -- had a gold onlay done at the dentist, had my eyes checked, and in a week I go to a new doctor (insurance was too expensive if I kept my old doctor) for a checkup before I hit the road. I'll get a haircut and get Remy groomed one more time right before we leave. 

I want to have a party in the nearly empty house, especially to thank people who have been so supportive and helpful (Annie and Maarten come to mind immediately) and to see lots of my beloved friends in one place before I go; but I don't know if I'll be up to organizing something while I'm taking care of departure details. If I don't do it, let all who read this know that I couldn't have done it without you!