Just a couple more hours

Things were going great until Wednesday morning. I had the day off and was going downtown when I remembered the truck was coming to pick up my bike at the dealership. I went over to see it off. I shouldn't have. To make a long story short, the lift gate hydraulics blew a seal and there was fluid everywhere. Driver didn't seem too concerned about the hazmat incident developing. It got worse before it got better, but then my bike was finally off. I'm not all that confident.

The rest of the day was hauling stuff to Salvation Army and trying to take apart my quilt frame. I planned on working half a day on Thursday and going home to pack for the movers who were showing up on Friday. I got a call before noon telling me the movers were going to be there in two hours. :gah: I told them fine, as long as they were going to be helpful. It was incredibly stressful, but everything got off all right. They figured I have about twice as much as was estimated, so I can see that bill doubling.

I had to go back into work for something quick today, which turned into 2 hours. When I got out I spoke with the property manager who has decided to charge me $525 plus the expense of running a credit report for the new tenant WHO I FOUND AND SHOWED THE APARTMENT TO. I have no problem paying him for expenses actually incurred, but he's making over $500 simply because I'm leaving. It wouldn't be so bad, but he started giving me crap about doing the right thing and not burning bridges in reference to my leaving the apartment in good shape. I replaced the floor in the kitchen and they paid for materials only. This place is looking better now than it did when I moved in. I'm so freaking pissed that he's talking to me like I'm some lowlife skipping out on rent and trashing the place.

Argh. Sorry, venting. The property manager is one of those guys who dropped 30 grand on a dealer "customized" Harley only to ride it about 300 miles the first year and never since. I'm trying to make myself feel better by telling myself that he's just pissed because I can move out to Colorado and ride my motorcycle whenever I want, not just when my spouse tells me it's OK to do it.


So I'm cleaning up the apartment, packing my car and heading up to the ex's to spend the night. I'll be heading out in the morning.

Sounds like he's trying to make some quick cash off you. Ditto what everybody else said, tell him to shove it, unless it's part of your lease. But then I might say the same thing anyway....burning bridges, what an ass. You won't see him again anyway....Good luck with the move.

Ditto... The dudes a butthead!!! You'll be almost 2000 miles away from him so tell him to Stick it where the sun don't shine!!!

You're not costing him a dime in lost rental income yet he still wants to squeeze the turnip...... if you paid the rest of yer bills and rent I would burn the bridge anyways. Their place got 500 00 dollars of free labor when you did the floor.
What's he gonna do, get on his bike and ride after you.... ha ha.
All the hassle will be worth it when you're out West..
good luck with the move.

It's all 500 miles behind me now and I don't care all that much anymore. He can rule his slums and provide crappy service from behind his desk. I'm going to live in paradise.

Got a late start, but like I said, I got 500 miles in. Not too bad considering I left at noon. I think it all hit me when I was driving by the Yankee Candle factory (chick stuff). There are two exits for it. At the first one I was thinking how it was a bad time of year to stop and I can go by there anytime. Approaching the second exit I remembered that this was probably going to be the last time in years, if not ever, so I stopped. It's starting to sink in how major this is. I'm getting a little nervous, but I'm sure when I hit the mountains I'll be fine. I also want to see my bike at Thunder Mountain and get the work started on it.

Abby, stop looking back and start looking FORWARD!! You can't change the past and you need to trust your instinct. Get going, stop and "smell the roses" on your way and be confident in yourself, you can do it!

Like voodoochild said "don't look back" unless your looking at good memories. I wish I was at a point in life to make a move like that. I didn't do it when I was younger so now I must wait to the latter part of life to do it. 15 years and counting. Warm summers in Maine and warm winters anywhere else!!

Crazy day. I woke to freezing rain, about 150 miles of it. I finally got into just plain old rain and made it to my friend's in Pittsburgh. We went downtown and got some funky sandwich that's famous there. It has fries and cole slaw right on the sandwich. I headed out right after. It was raining a little here and there, but once it got dark it started downpouring. Chuck, I feel like I'll never make it out of Ohio. I had planned to make it to the border, but at what cost. I'm in no hurry. I really want to get out there, but my stuff won't be there until the 10th anyway. I start work on the 13th.

I'm really glad I'm doing this. I've had my iPod going the whole time and it's kinda funny how I have all these songs about being on the road and being free and all that good stuff. There must be a reason I gravitate to songs like that. It's just how I am. Midnight Rider has always been my song, although I'm not running any more. Maybe I should switch to Traveling Man. I need to find a chick on the road song.

Keep heading west, Abby, and you'll be fine. Freedom grows with every mile. Just don't cross the Sierra Nevada range and you'll be fine!

I know a LOT about moving and starting anew. It seems scary to some, but be confident in who you are and you'll be fine. It is really exhilirating - enjoy it like you did your cross country trip. And if it gets hard, like :witsend: hard, then just "suck it up, Buttercup!" as we used to say in the service...

Me throat is dry....must be some scotch around here somewhere!

:cheers:

There sure have been some storms in the north and north-east. Just take your time..Colorado ain't goin nowhere..it'll be there when you get there. Just be glad for once that you're not on the bike.

St. Louis this morning. Someplace in Kansas tonight...

Speaking of Kansas..anybody been watching Tin Man on the SciFi channel? I'm not a huge scifi buff, but it's a pretty cool alternative to the ole Wizard of Oz.

Holy crap yer on the home stretch. You should love living out there. Fall and Winter are great cause it can be 15 and snowing one day and 50 + the next. Lots of sunny days even if it is cold in winter....but low humidity usually.
Yeah there could be some bumps in the road yet, they always come up, but the worst should be over. Plus the riding out there should be great...... you are going through the steps of change, are you writing things down for your book.


Ah......I miss it there....