Moving the Mom to Washington

Although I vowed never to return, the whole reason I returned to California was to assist my Mother (Sister and Bro-in-law as well) in moving out of the state… and right back to Washington – where I left only days ago. Yep, I got to re-drive 700 miles of the 800 that I just drove, but this time with my Mother, with a ditsy & neurotic poodle in hand, was ready for the three day drive to her new home outside of Seattle.

Opting out of the more scenic drive up the coast, we took the simple – yet boring – drive straight up Interstate 5 with the ample choices of hotels and fast food eating opportunities (seriously, there is nothing but fast food along this stretch of road). The pace was so relaxed, we even did ourselves a little clothes shopping in preparation for the cooler temperatures further up North.

Since we were driving a modern passenger car, and not an RV, we stayed our nights in roadside hotels. Now this is something I am not accustomed too. I can’t even remember my last hotel stay. First, the beds and bedding in any hotel rub me the wrong way (literally) and then that blasted television! I gave up TV many years back so it is quite a shock to this old Tramp – who is much happier in the silence of a breeze crossing paths with a grove of trees – to have it assaulting me each day. Not that I didn’t sit there for hours watching reruns of Friends and Big Bang Theory – I did and I feel a little dirty about it all now.

Eventually we finished the three day drive and parked ourselves in yet another hotel not far away from the new place. There was still a one-day wait before we could begin moving in (paperwork and all). While they all dealt with the last minute errands and exploring their new town, I enjoyed a peaceful day to myself back at the hotel – of sorts.

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Directly next door to the hotel was an indoor shooting range so I took the opportunity – and a few hours – to drop in and rent a whole gaggle of pistols that I have wanted to test-drive for some time. It was my first time ever renting guns at a range and the paperwork alone took nearly as long as all my firing time but it was worth it. I tried just about everything they had in stock, and in the end I may have to purchase a new pistol, as I stumbled onto one that was exactly-right for me. Leave it to the Germans.

Five days after it all began, the family was in their new place and I boarded a 737 to return to Kerri in California. I’m not used to being away from that girl I tell you. Five days was hard, but the renewed appreciation for the love I feel for her was a nice gift. Still, it was very nice to get back to her, and our van. Now we only have two more days before we leave her Parent’s place and restart our 2019 travels. Unfortunately, we look to be staying in California for at least a few more weeks… with sailing lessons in Santa Barbara just after the new year scheduled.