Small Beginnings

"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin." (Zechariah 4:10a NLT)

After 4 brutal days of packing (a time that was easily doubled by the fact that Allied/North American Van Lines had neglected to schedule a full crew for packing and loading), we finally, and with great weariness, got on the road at 9:15 p.m. (yes, P.M.) Thursday, October 18. Don drove for about 3 hours, but was too tired to go for longer than that, especially since the rain was starting. We spent a surprisingly restful night at a service area in Connecticut.

Early light, Sandwich, MA

The day had begun cool and clear, and the Fall trees were as colorful as they get on Cape Cod--Cape Cod gets gypped when it comes to Fall color in New England, probably because there are so many pine and oak trees. The oaks somehow never get the message. All they can manage to do is turn brown and hang on for dear life until the new leaves in the Spring pushes off the old Winter leaves. Anyway, I am sure that, once we get to the desert, ANY color at all will look beautiful.

Darren and Debbie

We figured we should out start the final day of the packing marathon with a good breakfast at our favorite restaurant, Canterbury Cuisine (formerly Canterbury Cafe). I'll tell you......We are going to really miss that place--not just the food (which we love), but also the two owners and the staff, all of whom have treated us like family for the past 4 1/2 years, since they opened in February of 2008. They started some interior renovations this week, so Don and I got to sign our names on one of the studs, before the dry wall went up. We drove by last night, on our way out of town, and all of them came out to wave goodbye and to wish us well.

"Don  and Lucy were here!"

So, at 9:15 pm, we were on our way. This morning, after a night of fairly heavy rain, we began again. Don likes to do the driving, so I get to entertain him (Ha!), play Words-With-Friends and Solitaire, knit, and (of course) do a bit of blogging. Here are some views of this morning's travel. This afternoon, it has been raining more heavily and its too foggy to take pictures. More to come at another time...........

We Get to "RV it" to Arizona

After the first deal on a used RV fell through, we thought we might have to drive west in an overloaded minivan and try to find places to sleep that would take a large dog. However, Don found a used RV in Wareham, that was in great condition and was immediately drivable. What a blessing!

As far as the mover(s) go, I cannot say enough good things about our van driver-packer-all-around-nice-guy. His local home-company is in New Hampshire and he drives for Allied/NorthAmerican Van Lines, which are owned by the same parent company. They are the ones that really dropped the ball on our move, leaving him with virtually no crew to help him. He was forced to do all the packing by himself on Monday, which he did speedily and without a complaint. Tuesday, he was given two local guys for only 3 hours, so he had to get special approval from corporate headquarters to have them stay all day (at additional expense, of course). Needless to say, we were not finished and loaded by last night. He is back here this morning, and as of 10:15 this morning, none of the promised helpers have arrived--and he is still in good spirits! He has gone far above and beyond the call of duty and we are very grateful.

The Movers are Here! The Movers are Here!!!!

The moving van has arrived. They sent only one guy for the packing process, but a crew will load the van tomorrow. The packing process just got a whole lot easier, too, because Don found us a used motor home yesterday. He has just gone off to the RMV to register it. This means that we can put a lot of fragile and oddly-shaped items into the motor home for transport. I am very thankful for that.

It's HUGE!

Getting Down to the Wire

http://futuristicallyyours.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/clutter.jpg

Well, the movers are packing us up tomorrow, loading the truck on Tuesday, and the heading west. For some reason, they estimate delivery on Wednesday, the 24th, but that's OK. We have a good lead on another motor home, but this time, I will not post any pictures until it's a done deal!. We can sleep in the RV until our stuff arrives. Even if we do not get this RV, Don's cousin said that we can stay at their house for as long as we need, until we get settled. They live about 25 miles outside of Tucson, so I could easily do that commute to my job, for a short time.

http://www.vectorstock.com/i/composite/58,46/cartoon-of-apartment-vector-955846.jpg

So,...... the packing continues. One of our goals is live a simpler, less cluttered life in Arizona. We are trying to throw away or donate anything that is not truly essential.

Movers?? What Movers!---and other small dramas

Who would suspect that September and October would be such a popular month for moving? Apparently, it is. The movers were so booked that they did not have an available driver until Tuesday, October 16---a day after I was supposed to start work. We probably could have called around to different companies, but with Don's Veteran's status, we were able to save more than 60%  by going through the Veteran's Advantage program. It's hard to argue with with that, especially when the regular rate would have been about $20,000! It's unbelievable that it costs so much to move across country. The movers will pack us on Monday and load the truck on Tuesday.

So, I called the place where I will be working and asked if they would like me to fly out (and have Don drive out later, after the movers come), in order to start when I had promised. However, they graciously said that I can start on October 22, instead of the 15th, so Don and I can drive out together. It is actually a relief to have an extra 6 days to pack.

The other set-back is that the RV purchase that we had lined up, in order to drive out to Arizona (with van in-tow) fell through. The young man was selling it for his grandfather. He and Don agreed on a price, which included the owner replacing the tires. However, the young man said that his grandfather refused to agree to the tires, so Don made a new offer, but they never got back to him with a response. So..... no RV to drive with, and we are running out of time. The van, with its 200,00+ miles, will just have to make the trip on its own. (By the way, I deleted the previous post, which told all about the now obsolete RV.)

Good news, though..... Don just sold his '75 MG tonight. He had been trying all summer to sell it, but people would say they were coming and then not show up; or they would come see it and not be willing to take on the work it required to restore it fully. We were getting down to the wire and it looked like the car was not going to sell before we moved. However, a man showed up who happens to be part of the Boy Scout troop that Don's son Daniel attends--and he wanted the MG. I love the idea that Daniel will be able to see the MG again and think of his Dad!

A Celebratory Dinner

Don and I just had a great dinner at our favorite restaurant, the Canterbury Cafe (soon to be renamed "Canterbury Cuisine"), in Sandwich, MA:
http://www.canterburycafecapecod.com/ 


Usually, we go out for a birthday dinner in between both our birthdays, which are two weeks apart. However,  Don was in  Arizona, finding our house, on his birthday (September 17). Then, we were both visiting friends in Pennsylvania on my birthday (October 1). Today, we Fed-Ex'd all the closing documents and down-payment for our new house in Arizona, which goes to settlement tomorrow. So....., we figured that we would go out for dinner to celebrate our birthdays AND the closing on our new house. Dinner was delicious! We are really going to miss that place. We have eaten there so often that it's like leaving family behind.

We Can Keep in Touch With Skype for Free

There is a great way for us to stay in touch, face-to-face, as long as your computer has a web-cam and a microphone. It is through Skype and it is free. It is possible to use Skype to communicate with actual phones, but that service costs money. The typical Skype communication is on-line, through computers. If you want to use Skype to communicate, send me an email through this blog and I will arrange it with you privately. The email to use is forthedesert@gmail.com.

Here is some information on Skype and how to use it:

(1) Main web site = www.skype.com

(2) To get Skype:: http://www.skype.com/go/download/

(3) Video of how free video calling works: http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/features/#

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I have looked up several articles that give a helpful overview on using Skype.

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How Does Skype Work? | eHow.com
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4604418_skype-work.html#ixzz27bMIGRUD


"The Skype ID"

    "In order to use Skype, the first component that you will need is a Skype ID. Once you sign up with a Skype ID, you will be issued a unique number, which is tied to a customizable username. The Skype ID facilitates a quick connection method, much like a telephone number, and ensures accurate connection with other Skype users. The Skype ID is also recognizable to landline telephones as a regular analog telephone number through the SkypeOut service."

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What is Skype and How Does it Work?
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-is-skype-and-how-does-it-work.html

"Skype is an application that allows users to make voice and video calls over the internet. It uses voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to facilitate voice and video calls. This application can be downloaded for free and you can make free calls to people who already have Skype installed on their PC and mobile. Skype uses a P2P model of communication, i.e., each computer has the ability to connect with one another without using a central server.

"A Voice over IP is something that helps users make a phone call through Skype platform for free. Once a connection is established between registered users, who can register for free, they can call each other for free on their Skype ID. The users can even dial or receive calls from an unregistered user. But, these calls are charged a fee according to the call made. You need a microphone along with some hardware equipment on your computer to make these calls.

"Installing Skype on Computer
 
1. Visit the Skype website.
2. Click on Get Skype.
3. Choose an option from the following,

• On your computer
• On your mobile
• At work
• On your TV

4. Download the Skype software and install it on your computer.
5. Plug-in your microphone and you are ready to make calls.

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Sites with more information:

http://www.lovemarche.com/skype.htm

About skype for iPad or iPhone: (FAQ's) https://support.skype.com/en-us/faq/FA10866/how-do-i-make-video-calls-with-skype-for-iphone-or-ipod-touch

Trouble-shooting Skype when it does not work: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-check-skype-work/)
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6 Things You Should Check First When Skype Does Not Work

    May 16, 2012
    By Chris Hoffman


"Most of the time, Skype just works – but every now and then you’ll run into a snag and Skype does not work. These six troubleshooting steps will solve most common Skype problems, whether your microphone isn’t working or the other person sounds like a robot.

"Problems with Skype may not even be on your end — the Skype infrastructure may be experiencing problems or your conversation partner may have their system configured incorrectly. If you’re still experiencing problems after following these steps, be sure to ask the person you’re speaking to to go over these steps — the problem could be on their end....

 "You can also get more troubleshooting tips from the call quality guide integrated into Skype. Click the Help menu and select Call Quality Guide to open it."


For the complete article, including helpful diagrams, go to: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-check-skype-work/