Preparation

I can come up with good support for both answers to that question.  The fact is, I am stressed.  And I really should be trying to enjoy this time of gearing up for our launch.  I mean, everyone else is excited for us.  They say, “I bet you’re getting excited”, “I am so jealous”, “Are you all ready to go?”, “Did you get a truck yet?”. Its awesome that we have so many encouraging friends and family who are interested in our adventure.  But every one of their questions and comments sort of blasts the DEFCON 1 horn in my head.  There is still so much to do but we are taking it one step at a time and like Lady Macbeth once said, “what’s done is done” to which I have added “and what isn’t done still needs to be done”.

The truck?  Oh I’m glad you asked (DEFCON 1 horn blaring in my head)!  So the great deal I thought I found was a dud.  My broker friend has a very keen eye and noticed some damage.  After getting some more pictures we realized it was not a good deal at all.  So we have been pursuing one in Sublette Kansas…you never heard of it?  Me neither!  The check engine light was on so we had a 3rd party diesel mechanic do an inspection today.  The check engine light was just a broken wire on the fuel water sensor…trivial repair.  I’m waiting to get the rest of the report on the truck.  Maybe by week’s end we’ll have something to pull Ava with.

As if preparing for our adventure isn’t keeping us crazy busy enough we decided to remodel our bathroom in the house to just spice things up a bit.  The bathroom underwent some major renovations when we first bought the house but we did not mess with the floor or the door.  Since we want our house to be nice for our renters (anyone looking for a fully furnished, family friendly house in old town Longmont during the first half of 2016?) we decided that the bathroom had to get new floor and door.  So our local handyman Tim Pearl showed up yesterday and started tearing things up.

 

 

While handyman Tim is working on putting the bathroom back together we get a knock on the door Wednesday morning that they are going to put in a new gas line to our house.  This means a lot of digging in our yard.   Read more →

We had our first real snow of the season last night.  Its been a beautiful fall in Colorado so I suppose its time for some snow.  And its Saturday morning so there is no need to rush off anywhere, we can just enjoy the beauty of winter while sippin’ on a cup of joe.  But, as beautiful as the snow can be I can hear the warmer temps of the south calling my name.

 

Dear Huck,

Its me….pre-adventure Huck.  I wanted to write you this letter so you would remember the stress, the sleepless nights, the worries and the guilt you felt right before your trip.  You don’t remember them now because, well that is just the way those sorts of hard times* go.  One day you feel like there is this insurmountable challenge and the next there is another insurmountable challenge which takes your attention away from the previous challenge you surmounted (I did not think that was a real word, but it is!!).  So this is your friendly reminder to look back and remember one of the low points (honestly, I’m doing you a favor).

We do not have a renter yet…we have some prospects but nothing for sure yet.  Lots of folks that want pieces and parts of the 6 months but we’d really like someone to rent for the whole 6 months if possible.  The truck has had some issues…we’re praying we have a reliable and safe vehicle.  We have not been able to take a test run with the setup and have no experience pulling such a big beast.  We’ll take some driving and parking lessons with our good friend Eric once we get the hitch for the truck.  We’ve begun packing up stuff to stash in the basement and to load in the trailer but it feels like such a huge undertaking….where to begin?  Our southern destinations are being hammered with tornadoes and blizzards.  We are leaving so many friends and family behind.  I won’t get to have Friday morning coffee with my brother, we’ll miss our small group, our school friends, church friends and our bible study groups.  Is this really healthy for our kids, for our family, for our marriage?  These are just a few of the things I lay awake in bed worrying about.  Oh, and while writing this I got an email from a tenant with minor toilet and furnace issues…I needed just a little bit more on my plate!

So, drop me a line, future Huck, and let me know how small and trivial all these issues were.  How they were nothing compared to the real issues you encountered (and overcame).  Tell me how your prayers were answered in surprising, plot twisting ways that blessed your socks off.  Explain how much you and your family grew through these experiences and how glad you are that you took the chance on an epic adventure.

Warmest wishes,

Pre-adventure Huck

 

P.S. Maybe ask the kids to drop me a line too….when they are older…telling me how much they appreciate that they got to be part of such an amazing adventure.

* You and I both know there are REAL problems in this world and we are so thankful to only be faced with these sorts of trivial issues.