January 15, 2006 ... Arrived in Provo,UT -- Rested and got ready for the next phase.
There are plans and then there's life!!
Got into Provo at 4:45AM (Time zone Change 5:45AM) after that hair-raising experience in the snow at Parley's Canyon (Park
City) ... slept till about 11AM. Miranda, KatieRose's daughter, & Matt, her husband, were gracious enough to let us have their
bedroom. It made our stay there fantastic!
Here is Miranda getting ready for work, Matt watching sports and their roommate, Ryan, practising his guitar.
It was a cloudy snowy cold day so we just stayed in and regenerated ourselves after the long ride of the previous day.
As it turned out it took several hours to update the Blog to include the previous weeks activities. Also I had decided that
in order to give one a better feeling of this trip and our adventure, I would have to show more pictures!
So I revised how the pictures were being displayed. I liked the feeling of more pics across a page rather than just two large ones.
At some point in time I'll add the functionality that when you click on the pic another window will pop-up allowing a larger view.
January 16, 2006 ... Revisiting the Storage Unit and selecting our STUFF for the trip to Hawaii!
If you haven't used it two years, do you still need it!!
Today was the big day to face the storage unit!! There is a saying that if you haven't looked at something in 6 mos. or a
year or as in our case TWO YEARS!! You don't need it and you can just give, throw or burn it away! Our original thought
two years ago was to go on a short winter trip to visit Kiki for Christmas and D'Arcy for New Years and than go back to
Utah to perhaps live or rest up before our adventure spring/summer trip to visit Mexico/Belize/Costa Rica.
Well there are plans and then there's life!! First Charles was deployed to Iraq and D'Arcy asked if we would stay for awhile,
because she often goes into a depression when Charles goes to sea. Then the Pathfinder needed repairs and I had to find a consulting contract or
a full time job in order to pay for the repairs ... the next thing you know its two years later and I had become a wage-slave in a dead
end job with a government contractor that pays way below the going commercial pay-rate, because they can get away with it
and kind of expect you to have a military pension, since most of the employees are ex-servicepeople. It was a good gig for
me techologically, since I used this opportunity to improve my skills and stay current. I'm sure that being current in
software development technologies will ensure that future contract positions in Hawaii will benefit from the experience
gained in this contract.
Well ... I digress ... Since we hadn't seen the storage unit in two years we had to reacquaint ourselves with what was
so important that we would pay $100-/mo. to keep!?!? In a way we could have gotten rid of most of what we had and buy it
new or used for the $2400- we paid in the last two years! It is obvious that we are aware of that option, but our
stuff is compelling ... and its like glue, we just couldn't bring in a truck and take it to the dump or sell it in a garage
sale (winter & snow NOT the best time!). After we were immersed in the storage unit for three days, our thinking
was to make a success of this move to Hawaii and then come back in a short time (... summer/fall) and
sell what we can and get rid of the rest and maybe even close down the larger unit and get back to just the 5'x10' for
$20-/mo. Of course, that would mean that we find employment and the move is a success ... which deep down we know it will be!
SU being opened ... A Look at the Opening ... The Way it Looked at the door ... How the back looked as we dug into it.
Staging the contents ... gives you an idea of what we were faced with ... Sure we have Food Storage ... IN UTAH!!
Anyway we loaded up the trailer with a storage shed, which we filled with stuff, garden hose with carrier, a fair
amount of clothes, a 17" Computer Monitor, funiture and a bunch of misc. items. Well the wildest thing happened when we were releasing all this stuff.
You remember our earlier comment about synchronistic events (SE) which happen and are really miracles for us to recognize!! We had this huge and
VERY heavy 34" TV which Miranda was using till it died. This was one of the things that we were giving to DI.
Well it was just too HEAVY for KatieRose and I, but we did get it out of the SU and into the staging area near the trailer for later
loading. When it came time to lift this into the trailer, KatieRose said, "We need a man!!" Just then a large truck pulled
into the lot and was headed our way, but stopped when he saw that we were all over the place blocking access. As he was
backing up I waved, whistled and generated such a strong vibration that as he was about to go forward he looked at me. By
this time I had my hands clasped in a prayerful manner ... more pleading than anything ... and when he looked at me I did
a series of hand signs waving him to come back and prayerfully help us. He came forward and I asked him if he would help
me get the TV into the trailer and he said sure! We grunted to lift it up just the few feet to the trailer floor but
before we moved it in any deeper, I looked at him and asked if he wanted it? He said, "Yes!" Now it was so cold that
everytime the base came in contact with anything hard pieces would break off!! It wasn't looking cosmetically usable at
this point! So he went to make some place for this huge TV in his truck. Mind you there wasn't any proper space nor did we
have any pads to protect it in transit. He said, "It was OK!!" So he & I groaned it out of the trailer and I nearly got a
hernia by just getting it to the truck. KatieRose came to help us lift it that extra few feet ... we all gave that last
push!! When the TV went over the truck bed edge we could hear plastic cracking. This fantastic angel sent to us in our
hour of need said, "It was OK!" ... and over the edge it went landing with a thud and various cracking sounds! My last look
at it was a very visible sawtoothed crack above the base and the bottom of where the tube housing would begin. Again he
said, "Its OK!!" I have no idea how he would ever get that out of his truck and still find it usable. The first bump he
went over would reduce the whole thing to rubble. I guess the Lord felt that DI wouldn't be able to resell it and this
angel was sent for our and his purposes!! KatieRose and I just looked at each other as he drove away and disappeared in
total amazement and filled with the joy that comes with being part of a miracle!!
We went back to Miranda's because Becky, KatieRose's other daughter, with her husband and two boys were going to be there
for dinner. It was fun ... the boys have grown so much and aren't they cute!!
January 17, 2006 ... Day 2 at the SU ... Progress, Organization and ... Time to Look GOOD!
Understanding of the phrase the Lord said ... "I go to prepare a place for you"
Setup a staging area to sort the clothes we want to take, leave or bring to DI or put back in storage. We were blessed with wonderful weather with above
average temperatures although snow was forcast for late Wednesday and Thursday.
We were very lucky to have a rental neighbor, who is some kind of mechanic, his name is Jesus ... and a life saver,
another SE miracle! By helping us to unhitch the trailer it made it so much easier for us to get the things done that
we had planned for later in the day!
Got my haircut at Marty's 3PM ... Our hair hadn't been cut or styled since the begining of October in preparation for our trip to Hawaii
when I knew that I was going to look for work. After I got my hair done I Went to the Orem Library to register for VEC, check my
emails, get the car washed and then go pickup KatieRose at Marty's after she was done.
KatieRose had also been waiting for several months because Marty is the one who styled her hair when she lived in Utah county 15 to 20 years ago.
Amazing how I got there just in time to take pictures of Linda also. Great people and have come through their own honning process ... the city is forcing them to move because the city wants to
widen the street they are on! ... not to mention the health issues Marty has had in the last 3 years.
We then went to Miranda's to get cleaned up for our Visit with Ray & Mavis Glad. Now that was an experience! Ray is the
brother of KatieRose's first husband, Richard, with whom she had five children! We first got to meet Ray & Mavis when they were
serving a Temple mission in DC. They drove sown to Virginia Beach, VA to collect genealogy information from KatieRose on
the Glad family lineage, which she had. They designed their home about 25 years ago and had many features that are
considered modern today. Mavis prepared a wonderful meal and we ate our full ... it was good!! and after a bit of
conversation we had a great dessert!
By this time it was after 10 and we had to get back to Provo to face the storage unit
and get the packages ready for shipment! Stuff that we couldn't live without!?!? and would be willing to pay nearly $400-
to have with us ... there must be a comedy act in this ... and George Carlin did it called ... STUFF!! I have our own version of
this and the pictures above might give you some idea of how we were attached to our STUFF! Actually, some of our stuff, in all
honesty, was brought to Utah in the trailer with the original idea of shipping it from Utah to Hawaii.
January 18,2006 ... Day 3 at the Storage Unit ... A very long cold day/evening ... Ready to leave UT!
Last Day to ... Get-R-Dun ...!!
We took the packages that we packed yesterday and others we made today and loaded them into the trailer. The weather had
turned cold. It wasn't snowing yet but we had been having intermittent hail, rain and some very light snow. So it was time
to rehitch the trailer. Jesus was there to use his heavy duty professional jack to lift the trailer, while I backed the
Pathfinder back into position so that I could reconnect the chains and lights to the trailer. After this was done we were
ready to take the 13 boxes to the Post Office, where we arrived around 2:00PM. I wish we had taken some pictures of this
event. Picture a very crowed PO line with about 15 people when KatieRose entered the queue. I'm out in the parking lot
trying to jocky the 6'x12' trailer into some convenient position near the door. What a futile effort that was and funny
... you had to be there! Anyway, as it turned out I'm glad I didn't and couldn't do what I thought would be good for the
unloading, because I would have been in such a bad position for the exit. So here is this strong but definitely out of
shape Hispanic Senior Citizen for this kind of effort ... shlepping 13 boxes from the trailer into a pile in the PO so
that when it would be KatieRose's turn I would be done. Here I was carrying fairly large heavy boxes weighing from 40 to
65 lbs. and sweating and looking like a third world labor and the people who one would think would spring to some kind of
compassion and offer assistance ( the young ones anyway ... ) looked at me with such disdain and pity rather than help. It
was amazing! So I said after one of the heaviest boxes when I was at my most dripping and strenuous breathing bouts, "When
I'm done I'm going to layout on the counter and then you can mail me anywhere!" It got approving smiles and even a laugh
from one or two. KatieRose, bless her, was supportive but didn't volunteer to identify to the new people that we were
connected. I was a mess and at my usual improvisational best!! At this point the clerk at the counter offered to get me a
hand truck to get the rest of the boxes in. It helped but by this time I had only 4 more to go. It didn't work that well
because the boxes had to be the same size etc. to balance, but it did save time and effort for the last three. Anyway, the
timing couldn't have been better. When I brought the last load in and had closed all the doors and the trailer, it was our
turn at the counter. The bill came to a surprising $363.42 which wasn't so bad for 470 lbs. (an average of 37 lbs/box!) of
STUFF!! So you can imagine the work that I did in carrying all of this into the PO ...
After this event I backed the trailer out of the end of the PO parking lot and to my surprise, I did it like a
professional; First time no crashes! We then went to purchase something that KatieRose needed and could only get at the
best price at Harvest Fresh health food store. It was new and absolutely wonderful. All of you people in the Provo, UT
area should patron this place ... it has everything and at great prices ... if we lived there they would give us our own
parking space!! Then we went to Target to buy somemore packing TAPE!! We don't remember eating after those errands ... it
was about 4PM. we did have something to munch on at the SU. I do know that we went back to the Storage Unit to finish what
was left to pack for both sending and carrying with us on the plane to Hawaii. We figured how long could it take ... an
hour!! Well we Worked till almost 10PM to be ready for the big day on the 19th! The plan was to load up the trailer with
what was remaining, as it turns out, 11 boxes and a significant amount of stuff to drop off at Deseret Industries. We
released a huge amount of clothes, shoes as well as items that we just knew that we would never use or really want again.
Somebody was out there that could make use of them and needed them. When we got home we finished the rest of the pizza
from Monday ... and that was dinner.
January 19,2006 ... Day 2 at the Storage Unit ... Progress, Organization and finally ... Looking GOOD!
You have to first prepare space for the new ...!!
Since there was about 3" of snow on the ground, the shoes we were wearing were not really adaquate to the task!
They had been put in the box going to DI the night before and they were one of the first things we put in there ...
wouldn't you just know this was going to happen ... we had released our clothes and shoes and placed everything into this enormous box!!
... So I'm digging into the bottom of the box feeling around for shoes that we can wear in the snow. I was finally successful!!
... thank goodness, because the summer shoes we had, were going to make our feet freeze even with winter socks!
Anyway, with the trailer loaded with the 11 boxes from the previous nights work, and all of the STUFF to DI, we were off after digging out ...
Well we made it down to DI which is in Provo and gave them our stuff. They were plenty pleased ... clothes/shoes are always needed.
This time we took some pictures ... it gives you an idea of the place.
Then were off to the PO in Orem to ship the remaining 11 boxes that we could not live without and had earmared them for going
Priority. What an absolute surprise that was ... $476.24 for 8 priority out the 11 and 315 lbs. of STUFF! Still it was cheaper
than having a container or other means we've investigated. As you can see we had paved the way yesterday so they gave us a very
usable vechile for making the load all in one trip. Would have saved a lot of huffing and puffing the previous day!!
I guess I needed the exercise and/or the drama!!
Well we prayed plenty about this next UHAUL event since we got to Utah!
The big challange today was returning the UHAUL in Provo without incurring the $200+ penalty for this dropoff. That was the only
reason we booked the trailer to Oakland,CA in the first place. The drawback to this whole trailer option
was the horrible gas milage we got from West virginia to Utah ... around 9 mpg!? I hadn't figured
that drop when I made the original gas cost estimation. Plus after all of that time with this low mpg, one starts to
think that there is something wrong with the Parthfinder. We had it tuned up before we left and it should be doing better I
thought. As it turns out the 6'x12' trailer is subjected to a lot of drag not like the 4' or 5'x8' and its heavier in addition.
We were blessed with having the absolute right people working there when we brought the trailer back! I also had the nearly
$840- receipts from the Post Office of sending our stuff on ahead to Hawaii. These helped the counter person (darn I missed
taking a picture of this sweet soul!) cover herself in the event the company would give her a hassle. So it was a busy morning
... we released a lot of stuff from the storage unit ... and got the trailer off our back at no additional financial penalty!!
What a wonderful feeling that was!
After the PO event, I got this crazy idea ... we needed a Chiropractic adjustment!! After all of this work we've done
since the 2nd of January. When we lived in Provo, UT two years ago we had found the most fantastic Doctor, Devin McCLean!
He was essentially just starting out and we had the privilege of being his patients. So ... I decided to give his office a
call, since I still had his number on my cell phone, and see when we could slide in for an appointment. Here was another
one of those synchronistic events (SE) ... the receptionist answers the phone and informs me that the office is closed BUT
she will contact Devin and see what his schedule is. We're headed to the UHAUL place and just figured it was worth a shot.
While we at the UHAUL, the receptionist called me and said that Devin could see us in a half an hour!! Now we were
headed next to take Miranda out to lunch before she went to work not only to thank her for her gracious hospitality, but
just as importantly ... Saturday was her 26th Birthday!! i had mentally put in my head that Miranda had to be at work at
1PM so we were running into another conflict. The appointment was set for 12:15PM and it would be at least 45 minutes for
both of us. So I asked if it could be made for later ... turns out Devin was on his way up to Salt Lake and that was his
only window. katieRose called Miranda and as it turns out she didn't have to be at work till 2:30PM!! Bingo! conflict
resolved ... we were going to get adjusted! Devin was fantastic ... not only did he come in and aid us but he went the
extra mile with hot electrical stimulation therapy and a great adjustment!
We were BOTH very ready for the next phase of the trip to Oakland,CA!!
We went back to the apartment to get Miranda to take her to lunch to thanks her for her hospitality and to celebrate her birthday
and as it turns out she had never been to Joe's Crab Shack, which is one of our favorite eateries ... even in Hampton Roads, VA
where we went regularly ... being from AZ there wasn't one ... my first experience was in Provo,UT. Anyway, it was fine food and a good time was had by all.
After that we went for the last time to the SU to get our suitcases for the trip. I was very happy to see how much
better it was organized and how much more room there was!(I'll spare you the pictures ... It really looked much better!)
From there we filled the car with out suitcases and went to Miranda's place to load up the stuff we had there before
leaving Provo. I had several items that I wanted to sell so I took picutes and they will made available in the 'Things to
Sell' section of the website eventually. we are saying our goodbyes to Matt and at that point Ryan heard that I wanted to
sell a custom Diggerydo (sp). He said that he was interested in instruments and we agreed at a price of $100-!! Another
one of those fantastic SE when we're walking out the door!!
Well we had a big decision to make ... the weather forecast for Reno and Donner's Pass was pretty bad due the second
wave of the storm that we just had. They said that snow tires and chains were required!! We consulted 'Streets & Trips'
and found that it would be only 210 miles longer to go through Las Vegas! Here is another SE! As it turns out KatieRose
shared a bread-n-breakfast on Maui with a wonderful man, Ed mathias. She had asked me several times if we couldn't drive
to Porterville,CA which is about 3+ hours south of Sacramento, which was going to be our original route. As it turns out
we did have two extra days, since we only had to be in Oakland on the 21st! We could definitely do this! So on our way we were ...
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