The Move Gets More Real Every Day

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With each succeeding day our upcoming departure gets more-and-more real. We have set the date to move. We’ve got the closing dates set on this house and our new home in California.

We plan on driving the 2,867 miles in Helaine’s car. Doppler will live the lapdog’s dream. She will NOT be strapped to the roof.

The guy buying our home in Hamden came by today to have the septic system tested. I don’t blame him. I would have too. There were no problems. We passed with flying colors and a minimum of stink.

During our last trip to California we (meaning Stef and Helaine) chose flooring and other custom features for the new place. I was there for some reason. Not sure what it was.

Stef, whose own apartment is really well decorated, was incredibly helpful and insightful. I was impressed. She had great suggestions, most of which were implemented.

Our Connecticut house will come with most of the furniture. We plan on taking none west! That lead to furniture shopping today.

I know, it doesn’t sound logical. But, with the lead time on furniture, it made sense to buy here and have it delivered there!

Helaine, Doppler and I hopped in the car and headed to the furniture store. A few hours later I had the bill for three rooms fully furnished rooms.

With each passing day here are more “t”s to cross and “i”s to dot. We’re getting closer.

I am both melancholy and excited.

10 thoughts on “The Move Gets More Real Every Day”

  1. Exciting for sure!! And… will be able to keep up with you here…. so I hope to see beautiful visions of somewhere I’ve never been…and Doppler! 🙂

  2. Wow! I didn’t know you were moving and starting a company. Where in California? I hope it is near Steffi. My daughter is moving in two months too and I am helping her. We are shipping some furniture and things out there. Good for Doopler but be sure she is secured and not on a lap as that could be very dangerous if an accident occured. Best of luck!

  3. Hey Geoff … where in California? You realize that Connecticut just won’t be the same without you, but I am glad that if you have to leave, you will be coming to my neck of the woods! and if this doesn’t work out, there’s always my neck of the woods in Hawaii

  4. Doppler doesn’t look like sheso sure about all this planning. But, she’ll be happy as long as you and Helaine are there. We all, too, are both melancholy and excited (for you).

  5. For Doppler, consider bringing her favorite crate along in the car for her protection and ‘safe place’ while traveling. I’ve also seen at PetSmart a harness system that safely restrains a dog in a car–our big Tibetan Terrier wears his during long trips, and it has a strap to anchor him safely to a seat belt.

    Loose dogs in cars are a great danger to themselves and other occupants in case of an accident, and should always be restrained in some manner–laps are not a safe place for an animal to ride in a car. Also helps prevent bolting at rest stops. One of the other tings I have see with our dogs is a great sense of defending the territory of the car from strangers–had our bunch on nutcases bark like crazy during a fill-up stop in Oregon one time–they do not have self-service there, and the dogs apparently did not like something about the attendant…

    PetSmart also carries a line of back seat liners that protect the seat from doggie messes and spills. My favorite is called the ‘Pet Hammock, and fits between the back seat headrests and the front seat headrests. The fabric pretty much totally overs the back seat area and makes a nice way to carry multiple dog crates and accessories without covering the world with dog hair. It has a few pockets for water bottles and food item storage. We carry a ‘Licks-it’ water bottle that can be inverted to prevent dripping, and our dogs are trained to use it when on the road–they just lick the end of the nozzle and the water flows neatly without a mess.

    Be sure to bring favorite toys and snuggle stuff to give her a sense of home while you are on the road.

    We’ve found that some hotels (La Quinta for example) are VERY dog friendly as long as you have a crate along…and introduce the dog to the staff…I’ve told our rescue story many times, and believe me, it gets sympathy and friendliness.

  6. Driving out to Ca is what the wife and I want to do when I retire in 2-3 years. Figure it will take us 5-7 days. What I want to do is drive on a part of the old route 66 (yes, the “Mother Road”). I have an old friend from my college days who lives in Amarillo, Tx, which I believe is on old US66. From there, I should be able to find my way to San Diego, and up I-5 to points north (Ah, yes, my favorite interstate-the “five”)

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