The Hot Is A'Coming

The hot is a'coming. Sure didn't look that way today, although it was 5 degrees warmer than yesterday -- got up to 68 in spite of the marine layer.


The mat of crap (pollen floating in Netarts Bay) was very noticeable today. Here it is near high tide in the cove where the creek enters the bay. You can also see other mats in the far cove and around the point:


You can see what the tide left behind as it went out in the next two pictures. Needless to say, I'm still sneezing.



August 12, 2008 was the last night I spent in the little cabin by the creek in the redwoods. Easy date for me to remember since it is my friend Joanie's birthday.

I put the padlock on the pod on August 13th, locked up the cabin, gave the keys to my real estate agent and headed down to Carmel to spent the night with a friend. I started my trek north on the 14th, headed up 101 to my temporary digs in Otter Rock. August 15th was the first night I spent in Oregon -- I had stayed in a motel in Crescent City, CA on the drive up.

A lot sure has happened in the past two years but I do not regret moving to Oregon. I can not imagine living back down in CA again -- I've been spoiled by the nice folks, cheaper cost of living, the slower pace to life, and drop dead gorgeous eye candy the State of Oregon offers.

Went into town today -- ran some errands and picked up some groceries. My plan for the heat is to hunker down, close the blinds and shade the windows on the west facing side of the house. On the plus side, I'll have an opportunity to wear the summer clothes I brought up in those two suitcases two years ago. I have to admit, I was freezing a lot (especially considering it was August) when I first got up here but I like to think I have acclimated since then.

I'm no longer a Californian who moved to Oregon -- I am an Oregonian.

Oregon

Oregon is forking gorgeous (at least along the coast). I enjoyed all the eye candy on the drive - around dang near every turn and on the other side of each hill were crashing waves, dramatic cliffs and rocks. I really am gonna have to get off my tushkie and get a digital camera so I can share just how forking gorgeous it really is.

I got in yesterday afternoon and was too forking tired to do much - unpacked part of my suitcases, ate some dinner and went to bed! Slept the best sleep I've had in weeks - I don't think I woke up once after I nodded off - very rare indeed.

Was going to walk on the beach at sunset tonight but forgot that I had to be at the lake early tonight. I did find a grocery store today and did some shopping - but it was Safeway and I prefer to have better food than that. I got really spoiled with the market I used up on the mountain - fresh and locally produced with an emphasis on natural and organic. Didn't see too much of that at Safeway. But it is close - just a few miles down the road.

There are lots of drive through expresso stands up here. I think is this my kinda area (laughing).

The vacation rental is just perfectly sized - 2 bedrooms/ 2 baths single story. No ocean views but one block to the south of me is the beach and one block to the west is the edge of the bluff overlooking all that crashing surf onto the rocks stuff. Just far away that it is not loud enough to register as noise but if ya listen for it, ya can hear it. It was foggy up here yesterday but today was sunny with big fluffy clouds constantly changing. Tonight, foggy and quiet with no wind.

The neighborhood here reminds me of up on the mountain - a mix of full time residents and vacation folks. Lotsa trees (no redwoods tho) and ferns, azaleas and rhoddys. Moss on the trees. Annual rainfall per the neighbors is 80" - 5 more than I got there. So far, a good match - just not sure if I am in a Kaiser coverage area. Will have to figure that out before I find where my where is.

Carmel By The Sea

Am down in Carmel by the Sea visiting my friend Anne. She is spoiling me rotten and I'm letting her (laughing).

Leaving the little cottage by the creek in the redwoods wasn't as hard as I worried it would be - instead, I found myself crying while saying goodbye to Token, promising him that I would be back down to get him. Bailey the cat refused to come inside last nite and slept outside. She is obviously pissed and I never got to tell her goodbye either.

My odometer hit 104,000 miles when I was at the intersection of Highway 17 and Highway 1 (also known as the fishhook) in Santa Cruz. Will be easy to determine how far I go with an easy to remember number like that. I took it as a good omen.

Am sitting in Anne's studio, watching the Olympics, using wifi (!) . Looking out the window, the street lights are dimmed by the fog. We are not close enough to smell the salt air but I can sure feel it. It seems very appropriate to start my journey at the ocean and ending at the vacation rental just north of Newport and 50 steps to the beach.

Road Trip

Tuesday nite at the lake, we riffed some forking great road trip tunes. There were so many good ones played in the comments, there is no way I can pick just one. I'm gonna send ya over there, tell ya to read the coments and click on all the links. Everything from the Canned Heat to Johnny Cash. Plenty to keep ya busy while I'm gone (laughing).

I'll be trying to blog from the road - I've never wified before but have been told it is pretty easy and shown the steps I gotta do to hook into it.

Wed night I will be in Carmel at my friend's house and will be able to do my first wifi at her place. Fingers and toes crossed!

I'm So Tired

The Beatles - I'm So Tired - but the pod is packed except for one tv, the vacuum cleaner, one lamp and 2 fans. There is a real sweet spot right in front waiting for them. Tuesday will be spend cleaning and running errands, going to the bank, the pharmacy, post office, etc.

Tonight and tomorrow night are my last nights here and I think I am ok with it. I am determined to have an adventure, have fun, take the drive up slow so I can enjoy the eye candy California has to offer.

Fingers and toes crossed but I think it will all be done and I am starting to see the end in sight.

Don't Get Me Started

Rodney Crowell - Don't Get Me Started

Yeap, been one of them days. Hell, its been one of them weeks (laughing). More stuff in the pod and we are almost done. Have to get the stuff from Jen's old storage Saturday and get my potted plants down to my friend who is going to watch them. Am renting a van Saturday to transport the boxes from storage to here, then the plants from her to there.

Final POD day is Tuesday with pickup scheduled for Wednesday, August 13 - my final day here. Next week, the adventure begins - this week is the week from packing hell that will make me appreciate nex week (laughing). I h-a-t-e moving.

Pod People

From the utube page: The classic and landmark season 3 episode of the series and possibly the funniest episode in the entire long and rich history of MST.

Had about 10 people show up today - the POD is half loaded. I have 9 more days to finish filling it and get out of here. Oy.

Some Humans Ain't Human

John Prine - Some Humans Ain't Human

I've said that if I got moving costs outta the house that I would be lucky. It looks like that is questionable - everyone else has to get paid outta the sales price - I had to give the buyer a $5K credit for repairs based on the reports from the termite and home inspections. Everyone gets more outta this deal than I do. I did everything right which I figured out really means that I get to pay for all the delays and got to have limited control - such as not being allowed to look for anything but a cash buyer for 15 forking months while the forking real estate market forking tanked beyond the toilet and into the sewers. I reduced my price but there were no cash buyers to be found.

Meanwhile, I am accruing penalties and interest on property taxes, am only making a partial mortgage payment so am accruing penalties and interest there and there is always the Homeowners Association dues and penalties - but hey, I'm doing the forking right thing.

Three months after they relented and agreed to financing - bingo, a buyer. Meanwhile, I keep spiraling down a hellhole while getting to pick up the tab for everyone else - ending up with less than 1/10th of what I have put into the little cottage by the creek in the redwoods.

Fuck.

Something Good This Way Comes

Jakob Dylan - Something Good This Way Comes

The buyer has lender approval for her private financing. All inspections have been done and the HOA is scheduling the Board of Directors meeting for the buyer's interview.

Looks like I will be out of here the 1st or 2nd week in August.

dancing happy dance but still have my fingers and toes crossed because I'm double Irish and its not over until escrow closes.

Dung Beetle Blues

Dung Beetle Blues but I'm happy - my septic was dug, pumped, inspected and accepted (and not rejected like Arlo was). Inspection passed. Woohoo!

Dirty City

Steve Winwood - Dirty City.

A different septic crew found the septic tank after the first crew was not being able to find it Monday. It was exactly where I told them it was. Then they left. Said another crew was coming tomorrow to do the digging.

Major eye rolling. A simple one day septic inspection has turned into a three day deal. I know these companies charge $350.00 each time just to send out a crew - there goes the rest of my moving money. Sigh.

My Box In A Box

I need boxes. Boxes with boxes even. Packing tape also.

Matty Groves

Fairport Convention - Matty Groves. My mechanic, George, was with Fairport Convention (harmonica player) back in the day. I'm going to have to be sure to get the car over to him for a good going over and also get some new tires. Gotta make sure it will handle the drive up to Oregon/Washington.

I'm looking forward to finding where I'm gonna hang my hat. My neighbors said they will watch Token and Bailey for me while I'm looking.

No Bad News

Patty Griffin - No Bad News

Spent a lovely afternoon with Jen, Mike, and the girls. We played in the river and creek and Token even joined us as the girls and I walked up the middle of the river and then back to the beach. Token got quite brazen after being initially skeptical about getting in the water. He was pouncing and jumping and created quite a wake while running. Very cute with his skinny little legs - which look even skinnier when wet. After our frolics, we came back home and hosed off our legs and flip flops. We then had a lovely dinner of Thai chicken over rice followed by a lush white chocolate with raspberry topping cheesecake and caramel ice cream. Yummy yummy for the tummy.

As we were dishing up dinner, my real estate agent called and let me know the prospective buyer accepted my counter offer. Mary and I will talk about what all that means tomorrow - and there are a lotta 'ifs' involved, but it could very well mean that I will be up in the great Pacific Northwest in about 6 weeks or so.

Sure made saying goodbye to Jen easier when I was able to tell her as they drove away See ya in 6 weeks or so.