Well I can’t believe I haven’t posted on my blog for a month, especially the last month before I leave for Costa Rica. It’s been amazing how many lose ends needed tying up, but at least that whole process is now officially over!

Wow, so what all has happened in the past month? Mother’s day was a blast. We met up with my brother & his wife for some Mexican food in San Diego, which is always a good time. After that we stopped by the San Diego Botanicals, and my Mom absolutely loved it. They had a lot of cool bamboo & palm trees I had never seen before. It turns out that they grow bamboo there to feed to the pandas at the San Diego Zoo.

After the garage sale, with a bit of money in my pocket, I started purchasing items for the trip. Specifically, I bought a new backpack by Eagle Creek, my favorite backpack maker for these kinds of trips. Its huge, 9600cm. It has a zip-on daypack, which I’ve found essential while traveling.

I had planned on only taking the one backpack, but after packing it to nearly its breaking point, it weighted exactly 50.0 pounds, the airline’s weight limit for a single bag. At the very last minute, I decided to take another bag big bag that rolls, also with a zip-on daypack, and simply check them both at the airport. Glad I did, because I took another 35 pounds of clothes in the second bag… I also ended up taking my laptop case, and stuff it as full as it could go.

I completely moved out of my house about a week after the garage sale, and why not, there was nothing left. My parents offered to put me up in my old room until my departure. When I moved out at age 18, my little brother Matt took over my room. It just so happens, that about 2 months ago, he found his first apartment and moved out… Perfect timing. I can’t wait to play the guitar with my little brother again.

My temporary room is right next door to my little sister, where my older brother lived when we were kids. She is dating a great guy named Peter, and the two of them are so good together. Peter is a fantastic cook, and I think they BBQ almost every night, on my BBQ! Rachel & I had lunch together recently, and I will count the days until we can do that again.

My brother Jerod was thrilled to have me back on the block again. We got to hang out a couple of times, reminisce, and say good-bye. I’ll miss him, along with everyone else, but hopefully he & his wife will get a chance to come down to Costa Rica and visit.

Scott & I went to Catalina for a weekend. The house is looking great, but the spa was in pretty bad shape. As soon as we got there, I turned the heater on in the spa, and didn’t notice anything out-of-place. It wasn’t until we got in that evening, and had our noses about 4 inches away from the water, that we smelled it… dead, rotten, stinking fish. Somehow, someway, a foot long fish had been dropped into the water, and was disintegrating in the filters.

We spent most of the next day draining, rinsing, wiping, scrubbing, and refilling the spa. I didn’t even think about the drought in Catalina, and let the scummy, fishy water drain out onto the street. I hope we don’t get cited for it, and a ticket shows up in the mail next month. When we were done though, the spa was pristine. Scott & I had a great rest of our trip, and I will miss the Catalina house, as well as Scott, very much.

For Memorial Day weekend, my parents and I went up to the lake house in Almanor. Talk about a fun weekend! We had a nice drive to and from. My Dad & I spent an evening fishing on a local inlet to the lake. I went for a sunrise run down to the end of the peninsula and back, which took me through a pack of deer feeding on early morning grass. I wasn’t sure where the pack’s buck was, which was a little unnerving. Mom, Dad & I spent a morning at the crest of the peninsula. With smoke on the water, and snow in the hills, they sat in peace, watched me fish, and got some beautiful pictures. I didn’t catch any fish throughout the whole trip, but that’s why they call it fishing, not catching.

The community in Almanor was having a rummage sale, much the same way my community had a collective garage sale. Back at home, we rented a trailer and took a bunch of stuff up to the house, then took a bunch of the stuff from the house down to the rummage sale. I made a point to stop by the sale before we left, and purchased a bunch of shoes for my friend’s charity. Unfortunately, I was not able to meet up with said friend before I left. The shoes I bought, along with shoes from my closet, and my parent’s closet, were still sitting in the back of my Mom’s van last time I saw them. Oh well, can’t win ‘em all…

Unfortunately, that trip conflicted with a previous engagement I had planned. Jerod’s cousin Blair came into town, and we were all supposed to go to a baseball game together that weekend. However, after all the hard work my parents had put into my garage sale, I couldn’t bring myself to pass up the trip with them. Blair ended up staying a few extra days though, so we eventually got to hang out for a short while, which was very nice.

I had coffee with my ex a week ago, which was wonderful. I had a chance to see her new apartment… it’s a cute place. I had a box of her stuff to return to her, along with a few coats she had left at the house. It truly was fun to hang out with her again, catch up, and tell her all about Costa Rica. She seems very happy, which always make me happy. She will be missed.

Last weekend my parents threw me a bon voyage BBQ. We had Jerod & the family come over, and my Grandma June was there. My brother Jason & his wife came up from Escondido, and it was terribly difficult to say good-bye to him for the last time. They might move to New Zealand in a few years, and I can’t wait to visit them there.

Mr. Wayne & I got to hang out one last time, and met up for some Mexican food along with our friend Peru. He just got back from the Philippines, and the pictures are amazing. Ethan & I had a chance to see each other, which was a ton of fun. He might be in Brazil for Christmas, so hopefully we will have a chance to hang out in December.

I didn’t get to see everyone before I left, like Vinny, Hugo, Rachael, Abby… I never did get a chance to see Ilza, which was a total bummer. I did have plenty of time to say good-bye to Leena, again. As it got closer and closer to my jump off date, she was sleeping with me less and less. I think she knew, but that’s just my personification of her. I’m not sure what my parents will do with her, so I was saying good-bye for good this time. If I do happen to see her again, that will simply be icing on the cake.

As I rode the escalator to the security checkpoint at the airport, I received what I think will be my best memory of this whole process. My Mom was snapping photos, and both she and Dad were waving good-bye. What I will never forget is my Dad standing behind my Mom, giving her a hug, as they watched their son leave the country, unsure of when he will return.

Bon voyage indeed… or should I say viaje seguro…

Pura vida!

The garage sale was a complete success!!

I must start this post by telling you that, as of this last Friday, Leena is gone. Sadly, it was almost as if she couldn't wait to go. We were finalizing the packing for the sale on Saturday, and had the garage & car doors open. She kept jumping into the car, and wouldn't come out... Not even to say goodbye... I hope she's happy, because I didn't sleep a wink that night.

Friday, after a grueling week, we were finally ready to start pricing everything. It felt as though I was trying to put a price on my life. We put stickers on and marked everything in the sale, it's quite a process. I was comforted by the notion that I am not my stuff... its just "stuff"... I kept what I wanted to, things that are personal to me, and sold everything else. And I mean _everything_...

My parents arrived around a quarter to 5am on Saturday. I had been up since 4, that is to say "out of bed" since 4, so it was a very early morning after a sleepless night. Thank goodness though, because I was letting people into the gates at 6am, an hour before the community garage sale was supposed to start. The association was hosting a community garage sale on the same day, so the timing couldn't have been better. They advertised the garage sales, and I had been posting my moving sale on Craig's List everyday for the past week. The turn out was a little overwhelming.

There are so many great stories from this day, where do I begin? From 6am to about 7:30am, the crowd was nearly all professionals. By this I mean people who scour garage sales, simply to resell the items at local swap meets. Wow, let me tell ya, they know all the tricks. The most annoying was what I call "piling"... They would take a bunch of items, priced at X dollars, and offer half the sticker price for the whole pile. It was hard to tell exactly what they had, and I'm sure I lost a bit of money, but at least the stuff is sold... At least that's what I tell myself.

By 8am we had sold probably 30% of the items, but everything sold so far was small stuff. Then, the bargain hunters started to appear.

Side note, around 7:30am a neighbor showed up, and said they were just waking up, trying to figure out what they were going to sell today. We had been working on this for weeks... but I'm selling everything, and they were just looking to clean out their garage. Different strokes...

So, 8am, and it was still a mad house. We had stuff on the driveway, in the garage, in the kitchen, in the living room, and in the backyard, all for sale. We had taped off the stairs, with a sign that read, "Beware Of Dog", which of course was not true because Leena was already gone. It was a great deterrent though, and made us laugh all day.

Over the years, I have collected a huge mass of cables and electronic chargers. My little brother made a great comment, "where are all the devices that go to these chargers?". I had a box full of chargers, and nobody knew what they went to. When you're a gadget freak like me, this is what happens.

Worst than that though was the box of cables. We spread them out on a blanket, and probably covered a 5' by 5' square on the driveway. Hundreds of cables, everything from video, audio, usb... you name it, it was there. My Dad was hilarious trying to sell the cables, which we were offering a 2-for-1 deal. Every time someone bought something from him, he said "Oh, it looks like you need some cables with that... come over here and lets pick some out." Buy a wine glass? You need some cables. Buy a toilet plunger? You need some cables. Buy a painting, a mirror, a set of dishes? You need some cables... It was awesome to watch. No wonder he did well in sales.

Several neighbors came by during the day, and one in particular was very bummed when she just missed the sale of a huge wall mirror I had hung in my bedroom. The mirror that sold would have matched her living room perfectly, but she missed it by two minutes.

Years ago, when I bought the mirror, my little brother came over to help me hang it. We wrote our names and date on the wall behind it. This is a picture of the wall after we took down the mirror on Friday. The date: 05-27-07.

The buyers asked me to help them load the mirror into their van, and I obliged. While the husband was helping me load the mirror, the wife struck up a conversation. She just happened to ask, "any idea when you bought the mirror?"... I replied, "Of course, 5-27-07!" The look on their faces was priceless. It was as if I had told them the secret to life. I can only imagine the thoughts going through their heads, either I'm a savant with a photographic memory, or I'm a great lier.

Perhaps one of the best stories comes from the neighbor across the street. They walked over to peruse the selection, and saw a dish set that looked familiar. The wife recognized one of the sets, and jumped to say, "wait, I have one of those!" She ran back to the house, and produced a matching salad plate to my dish set. Turns out, it was actually my plate! We had given their family some cookies for Christmas, years ago, and she didn't remember where that plate had come from. I've had this set since I first moved out 18 years ago, and am now only missing one bowl... not bad, but it still didn't sell.

As the day went on, I got more and more forward with the shoppers. I started "booing" people who walked away empty handed. We had sold so much stuff, and not much was left, so the pressure was on to sell. I sat at the bottom of the driveway and monitored everyone that left. As they approached, empty handed, I would yell out, "what, seriously, nothing? 'Booooo'..." I had a smile on my face, and everyone laughed as they left, so it was fun.

There were a lot of interesting characters who came to the moving sale, including the "President of the Historical Arms Society", who wouldn't leave even if we paid him. I met a guy who hung out with Stephen Hawking, backstage at one of his speeches.

Someone actually offered to buy the dish washing soap off the counter. Really? Really?

Who am I to talk, I sold the stove at 4pm, I sold the refrigerator at around 5pm, and I almost sold the ceiling lamp, but that would've required electrical work. I sold everything in the backyard, including the furniture, the fake plants with weeds growing in their fake pot, right down to the garden hose.

I had been awake for more than 36 hours, and was ready to sell anything. I'm glad that Leena was gone. Someone actually offered to buy the fireplace, which is built into the house... "Sure, its only $600,000... and it comes with a free house!"

So Sunday was a weird day to wake up to: Mother's Day. I woke up to a completely empty house, which was a bit of a shock. I spent the day wondering around San Diego, having a great time with my family. We had a delicious Mexican lunch, and went to the SD gardens, which was beautiful. My family really helped take my mind off what I had done, and what I "lost"... rather: gave up.

At the end of the day, the garage sale was a total success. This is my motorcycle parked in my garage. Later that day, I parked my car where my motorcycle is; that's a testament to how much we sold.

I couldn't have done it without my family! I've been relying on them completely lately, and its really a great feeling....

Dear family, I love you!

It’s quiet… and really bright!

Over the past week, my parents have been helping me pack up the house. We have made tremendous progress, but still I feel there is so much to do.

So far, we have sorted through the entire garage, a feat unto itself. Everything is in boxes at this point, except my clothes, and the walls are bare. The kitchen is packed up, cupboards emptied, cleaned, and even the kitchen table is now missing.

Today my Dad & I spent about four hours removing the special light switches I installed over the past four years. This means that I can no longer dim my lights, which makes my house either too bright, or too dark, but it needed to be done sooner rather than later. I actually have to walk around and turn lights on & off… oh the horror!!

It’s quiet because my cable service is no more, including the TV & Internet. No television, no Netflix, no internet radio, no email, no skype calls, no text messaging, no twitter, no news… you get the idea. It’s peaceful, but unusually quiet around here.

This evening I had to drive down to the local Town Center just to get a signal on a hotspot so I can make some business & personal calls. It is truly amazing how much of my life has come to depend on the internet. I must hop on & offline at least 100 times a day; who knows, maybe more. Without cell service, the feeling of disconnect is that much more amplified.

We’re close, maybe another week out from leaving this house behind. I can’t say I’ll miss it, but will always remember it with fondness.

Another big week...

Over the weekend my brother came & picked up the washer & dryer. Here's a picture of Leena where they used to be, too funny. I've spent the bulk of my time cleaning the garage so we can get those monsters out of there, and now its time to pack up the rest of the house.

I received word yesterday that the sale of my motorcycle has fallen through. Apparently the buyer had trouble getting financed. Bummer, but my sister's boyfriend might have a guy that's interested. Either way, I'll have to post another ad on craig's list... fun.

This morning my parents agreed to take care of Leena for me. That's huge news for me, and lets me focus solely on the move, rather than dreading the loss of Leena. We're thinking that my uncle might be interested in her, but haven't contacted him yet. Regardless, my Dad offered to let me leave Leena at their house when I leave, and they will do whatever needs to be done with her. I have a feeling I'm going to sleep very well tonight, first time in a long time.

Also this morning, I showed my parents my tattoo. A couple weeks ago my Dad caught a glimpse of it during breakfast, and my Mom got the truth out of my sister. Not that I was hiding it, just waiting for the right moment. I put my Grandfather's "smiley face" under my right arm, so that he'll always be with me. Not a day passes that I don't think about him, and gave the tattoo idea a lot of thought, over 14 months before I did it. I wanted to put my AntyGrahm under my left arm, but couldn't think of a symbol that represents her the way I had for my GDoug, so I just got the one.

This afternoon I sent off my first payment on the townhouse I'll be renting in Costa Rica. There is some concern about the validity of this rental, and I'm taking a chance sending off money site-unseen. However, I've vetted this as much as possible from the US, and its worth the risk in my opinion. I guess we'll find out when I get down there. Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

Every time someone comes over, I try to give something away. I feel like an old grandparent, who starts giving away their possessions when they feel the end is near. There is simply too much stuff here to sell in time, and some of it I'd rather go to my friends & family anyways. This weekend my parents are coming over to start the "real" move. This house will no longer feel like a home after that.

As of today, I officially have 40 days left before my trip, so we're inside 6 weeks. Geesh time flies. It seems like only yesterday, etc etc...

I have two days that I'm looking down the barrel at, and they are both going to take a piece away from me.

The first is the day I'll have to say goodbye to my Leena. I've been counting down now for about a month, and at best I have 40 days left with her. Every night and every morning I try to explain, but she can't understand what I'm saying. She just looks at me with love, and my heart breaks.

Second, I have to walk away from this house. My "family" and I had many good, many great, and many bad times here. It represents but a single moment in my life, and a fleeting one at that. However, it was a time of growth, a time of love, and will never be forgotten, but hopefully forgiven.

I've been crying most of today, as the reality of my loss hit me harder than most other days. I'm comforted simply by my idea of a future, one of the same success my past has seen. If I can deviate from past ambitions, and settle into a modest existence, I might have a chance. It is my drive, maybe even greed, that drove my stress, which fueled my ambition.

Sorry to get so poetic, it's how my mind works. I am excited, and proud of my move. Truth be told, I can't wait to get there, but it's what has to happen between now & then that is so crushing........

What's the saying? Nothing ventured, nothing gained? We'll see, says the zen master...

It was a big day today...

I started cleaning the garage this afternoon. After about 6 hours of work, I'm only half way through, and maybe not even that much. There were a lot of boxes to go through, a lot of junk to throw away, and a lot of stuff to organize.

During the cleaning, I found lots of things I've been missing. It was like Christmas, sort of. My camera was a big item, and very happy I found it. Ten megapixel pictures will be a much better record of the trip, compared to three megapixels on my phone's camera.

I found the connector for my GPS watch. This allows me to upload my running history to the web. How fun is it going to be to upload my runs, and have my family and friends see exactly where I'm running?

Just as I was finishing cleaning, the owner of the condo I'm looking at called me. They are really excited to have me stay at their townhouse for the summer. Looks like I'll be renting their place until December. It will be very nice to have a home base for the beginning of my trip.

Shortly after that, I received confirmation from the airlines about my tickets. Done, and, done. I now have a date set in stone. It feels very different to actually be looking at a specific date, rather than just an idea of when...

I received a couple of letters today regarding the foreclosure on my house. They stated that the house is currently scheduled to go to auction around the end of July. The timing couldn't be better, as it gives me plenty of time to finish cleaning & move out. Anyone need to buy some furniture? I've got lots, and its all got to go....

I haven't started taking anything off the walls yet, like pictures & paintings. It seems like the house will feel a little creepy when I start doing that. There is plenty of other stuff to do before then, like finish the garage, sell the motorcycle, find a home for Leena, etc. etc... Wow, now that I think about it, there is still a lot to do :)

It finally happened...

A notice of default was filed against my property within the last few weeks, the exact date is unknown to me.

However, it looks like the timing will work out just perfect. I received a letter from one of my mortgage companies that gave me 30 days to respond, after which a forclosure proceeding will commence.

So, I have until the end of April to make a payment, otherwise the inevitable will take place, and I'm counting on it. This process gives me yet another 30 days to vacate or "else"... Not their language, but you get the idea. I have until at least the end of May to respond, according to my thinking.

Time to fire up the Craig's List ads, and get my furniture moved. What I don't/can't sell online, I hope to hold a giant, prices slashed, garage sale at an undisclosed location. Sorry, this is a public forum.

I made arrangements today with my utility companies to turn everything off on June XX, the day after I leave. They kept offering to spread my past due balance over the next three months. I laughed a little, and told them I'd rather pay this upfront at a local payment center, knowing that I have no bank accounts or credit cards.

My phone company was really confused. A supervisor actually told me they could not disconnect my home phone line, without a new phone number to reach me on. After a half hour conversation about "everything is going digital", and that I do not have a phone number, he finally agreed to turn off my home phone. Everyone's a salesman...

I have not bought my airline tickets yet, but am very settled on the date. There is a beautiful condo for rent in a perfect location for me, and I hope that it will work out. I have already made arrangements to exit the country, which is required by Costa Rican customs.

Everything seems to be working itself out, yet I'm still a little nervous. My biggest fear is that I'll have to give up Leena to the local Husky Rescue. Not a terrible option, but I really wanted to find a home for her on my own. Turns out, everyone wants a puppy, and by proxy, deal with the housebreaking, pooping, nonsense. Too each their own...

At this moment, I'm excited about the life I am creating for myself. I know there are repercussions about what I am doing, but those threats have little bearing on my own happiness. As I've said before, I've worked for decades to supply others with a life style that they desire. Its now time for what I desire, and to let go of the fear that others try to hold against the weak.