DAY IN DUBLIN

Trying to stay awake that first day is the challenge.  We are up for it however. 

Met a new guy but I just have to find someone a bit more lively. I do think he was rather statuesque looking but his conversation was non existent.  

We did a city bus ride today which started out great. The bus driver/ tour guide had a wonderful spiel. Unfortunately we got off the bus to tour the Kilmainham Jail (good tour)  and when we got back on the bus we had to go to the upper deck. ( Where  were the gentlemen that would  give  up  their seats for 4 senior citizens?  No where to be found!).  Anyway let me tell you it's cold on the upper deck. We had no problem staying awake,  We did happen upon a great little pub restaurant , Mulligans, on our walk back to the hotel.  We imbibed just a wee bit more, are a bit of  Irish fare and headed for our home away from home.  

Tomorrow we catch a train for Rosslare.  Just hoping I can get everything back into the suitcases.  I'll let you know how that goes tomorrow .

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS

Off to Dublin

THIS CHAPTER IS ENDING

What a month!  I flew to Vancouver on the 3rd to see Mira, Chris and the kids and came home to a garage  filled with stuff.   All mine :-). The week before the tag sale , around the 13th, Nancy Baldwin, Tag Sales Treasures, came into the house and started taking everything out of cabinets, closets, etc.  I looked on in amazement as she transformed my house into a " store".   On the 19th, a rainy Saturday at 9:00 in the morning 75 people were waiting on my doorstep to gain entry.  I was no where near the place.  Around 2:00 Nancy called to informed me that after they unhooked the wash machine a pipe broke and water was spewing forth in the guest bedroom.  The water was turned off and the sale went on.  Although it was Easter on the 20th, Nancy had decided that with all the "stuff" I had we should do a two day sale and so at 2:00 on a beautiful Easter Sunday  the sale began again.  I didn't think it would be too busy but I wanted to see what was happening so I drove into my neighborhood and could not believe all the cars, trucks and vans loaded with my possessions leaving the block.  I just turned around and left.  Around 4:30 I drove to the house and all but a few pieces of furniture was gone and a lot of the "stuff"!  I couldn't believe it!   Nancy delivered the money from the sale on Monday and I put a nice little deposit into my bank account.  The following Tuesday everything left was picked up by a local charity and the house was basically empty.

On Thursday, the 24th  I sold my car.  On Saturday the 26th I received an offer on the house and by early evening the papers were signed and the house went under contract.  All my possessions are now located in a 10X12 storage unit which is basically empty.

Now , on the 27th I'm trying to fit a years worth of clothes in a small suitcase and a backpack.  It's not working very well.  Luckily I did hear there are stores in Europe so I just need to open the stuffed bags tomorrow and throw things out of it.  I'll let you know how that goes.

One day left to finish everything here in the States and this EXHAUSTED broad is going abroad.

THE DAY BEFORE ...

Whew!  I'm out of my house.  It's late evening and after moving things into Lee and Theresa's house I ate a good lunch and went upstairs and took a long nap.   Too many nights without enough sleep caught up with me.  ( One can get a lot done when your day starts at 3:30 am, but that doesn't keep you from not sleeping the next night.)  Those days are behind me now.)  It was too late to make it to Good Friday services so decided I should just continue to take it easy.  Tomorrow is the sale.  Nancy Baldwin and her daughter Emily , have been amazing.  They have sorted through all my stuff, marked it and will conduct the sale tomorrow. I know they did their part just have to hope people show up:-)!  I was planning on giving it all away before I found out about tag sales so anything I make is icing on the cake.  I've had two showings during the upheaval.  So far no offers but I remain optimistic.  I have loved my home and I know it will be a perfect fit for the right people!  I just hope those" right people" show up quickly so I can enjoy some of the finer things Europe has to offer:-)!

REALITY SETS IN

It's seventeen days until departure.  I have to say at this point in time it's not all I  anticipated it to be.  My stomach chuns at night and I'm doing a lot of reading when I shoud be sleeping. For over a year and a half the excitement and anticipation was so great.  Now I have some anxiety. In the last few weeks the  momentous  task of getting my affairs in order is  at times overwhelning.  Forunately, a wonderful get together with friends from my Sunday School Class boosted my moral and a number of phone calls and notes from friends have also helped.  However,  those wonderful boosts don't diminish the anxiety that keeps creeping in.  Initially, I invisioned the house would be sold, the contents sold and I'd have plenty of time to get things in order but "life happens when  you are making plans.".   The house hasn't sold but I made the decision to empty the house before I leave.  The tag sale is next weekend so I have been busy getting all those things that I want out of the house.  It's a lot to go through.  As luck would have it I picked a weekend without looking at the calender and of course I picked the Easter weekend.  I should have a two day sale ( I have a lot of "stuff") but doesn't make sense because of Easter.  I look around at all my stuff and just wonder how it can sell in one day.  I guess we'll know next Sunday!  The nice thing is I don't have to dispose of anything that's left.  After Saturday I'll be out of the house.  I'm moving in with my real estate agent for the duration. I did mention that's my nephew, didn't I?