Sale for Sailing ... and now that Work is Done

First things first - as of Tuesday I will officially be retired.  Retired - as in I don't plan to work or be employed any longer.  Retired - such a strange word for me to relate to myself.  Retired - a glorious word!

Two weeks from now will be our first night on Mowzer as live-aboard cruisers.  Really?  It's come so quickly now.  Here's what we've been up to:

• Over a period of three weeks, I spent almost two weeks in Dallas for work.  During one of those weeks we had a fabulous time with the team and as a highlight got to go indoor skydiving - what a hoot!  Another night we did a 'Chopped' event at a restaurant and had a great dinner (didn't have to eat our own cooking.)

• Said many good-byes to long-time colleagues - shed a tear or two.  I can't believe how generous everyone has been and we are truly blessed to have such great friends.
• Henry has sold two cars and transferred the third to Caitlin.
• Who needs a snowblower in October?  Canadians do!!  Our snowblower is sold and awaiting the first white event of the season (hopefully it holds off until after we are gone but we did have a really heavy frost on September 18.)
• Spent a weekend with Jim in Waterloo to celebrate his birthday - the fall leaves were amazing and the weather perfect.  Caitlin & Jamie made it down to share in a fun dinner and it was great to see them all together!

• Like human pin-cushions we have been pricked and pumped full of vaccinations: hepatitis A & B, tetanus booster, rabies, typhoid and we have prepped our medicine chest full of various antibiotics and a couple of doses of emergency treatment for malaria.
• Planned, prepped and commenced the final garage/estate sale this weekend.  Again, blessed with great friends who helped pull it off.  We have greatly reduced the amount of stuff in the house and are planning on donating whatever is left to various charities.

This week brings the final clean out of the house and shipment of our personal effects to Mowzer.  Henry is putting in the final orders for items like the water maker, the generator, the new anchor.  The solar panels have already been ordered and are with the forwarder in Miami where the others will catch up before all are put on the boat bound for St. Thomas.  Now that I'm done work, I can chip in as well and help him with pulling together the final logistics.  The house has to be clean and empty by the 15th and then we fly on the 18th!

As I said to friends today, I feel like I'm just cresting over the top of the huge roller-coaster and now comes the scary near-vertical drop.  I just have to settle in and enjoy the ride!