On the road again...
It's February, so it is time to hit the road before the bills come due in California. First stop was in Astoria, Oregon to visit daughter Cassie's family.
My roller skating date. Grand daughter Kayla.
Then, I survived a 4th grade lunchroom visit.
Next stop: Anacortes Washington to visit daughter Amy's family.
Hiding inside our inflatable fort in the living room with James.
Janice with Amy who is the director of a home school program
On my way to get a driving lesson from Maddie ..or is it the other way around?
The eagle has landed
Looking out our living and dining rooms at the snow capped French Alps in the distance
I am writing this blog on a goofy little tablet as a result of my laptop taking a dive. All but impossible. The good news is that we got here in one piece and the house is fine.
We spent the first week aclamating to the 9 hour time difference, then got busy with the usual maintenance any house needs after an 8 month absence. We are now bracing ourselves for lot of company that will be showing up in the next few months ahead.
Refinishing the texture on the dining and living room walls.
Taking a break and having lunch in a converted olive pressing mill.
And now, the car story.
Ok, I get it. We are not car people. We have a plain little pick up at the island, a decent but “not rock your world” Honda Accord in California, and an unmentionable here. We bought our car brand new when we first came, but that was 14 years ago. We rode it hard and put it away wet doing all maner of construction, disrespecting it at every turn. It had all of the comfort of sitting on a hard wood bench. Then, we drove it 110,000 miles ( 175,00 km) all over Europe, exploring every corner 4 months at a time.
I figured that driving it only 4 months a year meant that in reality is was only 5 years old, right? Ok, so it was only a cheap entry level car to start with. Big deal. (Our car is a Toyota Yaris Verso, not for sale on the North American market, I think) Except that after 15 years it was not only a beater, but more like a tin can on wheels fit for a high school students first car.
Then, I kept hearing stories about “if we can afford a plane…”Ok, time to repent and get a grown up vehicle. Off we went, scouring every dealership within driving distance. I looked at a few Ferraris and Maseratis but Janice said we could get it if we sold the house in California and the plane. (so that was a non starter.) We settled on a Hyundai Tucson Executive with the so called "ultimate" package that has every option known to man, including a few I did not know existed. (Maybe air conditioning through the fabric of the seats for your hot buns is standard for you, but it is new to us little people) When delivered, it should be a fine addition to our travels, and less of an embarrassment for our guests.
The best part is that I get to keep the plane.
My Valentine date
