See You Later

That is what I am saying.  NOT goodbye.  Because it is not goodbye.  We will be back and we will keep in contact with all of our loved ones.  I have to keep telling myself that. 


I was wondering last night why Mark and I seem to be on a different page as far as saying goodbye to everyone and everything.  Maybe its because he is a man and he hides his feelings well.  Maybe its because he doesn't have as many people to say goodbye to.  I don't know, but I think that I am having such a hard time because I have never lived more than 30 minutes from my two sets of parents, and never more than 2 hours from my sister.  Except for my 4 years in college.  And then I was only 4 hours south at Miami U.  Mark has lived more than 2 hours away from his mother for most of his adult life.  He has even lived as far away as Texas.  Not having that close proximity to my family is throwing me for a loop I admit.  "See you later" is still very hard. 

The entire upstairs is done. Cleaned and packed.  Just have to bundle up what we have been sleeping on, vacuum and call it a day.  The downstairs has a bit more work, but Mark and I have become a very efficient team when it comes to cleaning.  The final packing needs to be completed today, and I need to review the protocol for preparing Scout for flight.  I need to attach all of the paperwork to her cage, and place water, food bowls and zipties in the appropriate places.  I'm not sure if her crate will fit with all the luggage as is.  We may need to collapse it for travel and put it together again once we are in the hotel.  Or maybe she can just sleep on a towel or something. 

Today we need to scatter Pongo's ashes.  Pongo was our gentle and loving greyhound.  We adopted him at 5 years old.  I don't know what kind of life he had before he came to us, but it wasn't a good one.  It took 5 months living with us before he wagged his tail.  It took quite awhile longer before he would put his butt in the air in that puppy play stance.  He had to learn how to be a dog again, but once he came out of his shell he was such a happy guy.  Except when I left him.  Then he was a bit destructive, but when I was home he would lay on his bed and stare at me with adoring eyes.  I always said that Pongo would marry me if he could.  LOL  He loved living here in Oberlin and romping in the yard or on the bikepath in the winter when I would let him off his chain.  Most greyhounds have to be on a lead at all times.  They are sight hounds and once they set their eyes on something they are off.  By the time they stop and look up they could be miles away and their noses are not as keen as other dogs.  They are not able to find their way home.  But, I could let Pongo off his lead.  He was that attached to me.  He loved to bound down the bikepath and run as fast as he could back to me when I called him. And he was fast!  I loved to watch him run.  There was such joy in him then.  Pongo died in the spring a year ago.  We had a terrible ice storm with ice inches thick on top of snow.  I didn't realize that it had frozen on top when I let him out in the morning and he went flying and broke through the thick ice with his very thinly skinned legs.  He hurt himself badly then and the vet thought he had torn a ligament.  However, it never healed and it turned out he had bone cancer.  I went to the vet with a very sick dog thinking that we were going to make a decision about surgery and was not expecting the verdict of bone cancer.  We put him to rest that night.  We did our best to make sure that his spirit came home with us and I think he did because Finn has said that he has seen him.  I had considered taking him with us, but I think he will be happier here in the yard where he used to romp, play and run laps around the house. 











Last night we had a nice dinner with Grandpa and Grandma EE.  Grandma took the kids shopping at Walmart and they each picked out a little gift.  Tali got crackle nail polish and Finn chose Legos, of course.  He was up at 6a.m. playing with them.  He was up before me!

This morning we are meeting Nana and Grandpa at The Feve for our last gourmet breakfast.  Last time I had pear and blue cheese pancakes.  Sounds weird, but they were SO delicious.  I wonder what crazy concoction they will have today.

2 Days and I am Scared Shitless

I almost skipped my morning walk because I am so dang tired and sleeping on the floor left me aching, but I'm glad I didn't.  It was a beautiful morning...cool and crisp with no humidity.  The birds are a lot quiter at 7 a.m. than at 6. 

Yesterday felt like a bit of a waste.  Since we had so much running around to do we didn't get much done around the house.  I got my hair cut and colored and Tali got her hair cut.  I had Brooke take off about 4 inches straight across.  She did the same with her bangs and Tali looks adorable.  It has a nice swing to it now and really frames her face beautifully.

Next we ran home to get Mark and Finn and headed over to Jim Monjot's to sign the final paperwork for our will and testament and our Power of Attorney.  Jim plans on visiting us in the future and we will be happy to show him around and set him up with some exciting adventures. 

On to the mall where Mark bought tennis shoes at Dick's along with button-downs and khakis at Macy's.  I stocked up on my Clinique Happy.  Got a nice big bottle.  I wish I could have bought two, but maybe I will find a good substitute in Cuenca.  While we were waiting for the woman behind the Clinique counter Tali looked in a mirror and said, "I LIKE myself.".  Music to a Mom's ears!  Now my job will be to make sure she feels that way for the rest of her life.  A daunting task in the U.S. for sure.  I wonder if it will be easier in Ecuador. 

A final stop at Charter One to have copies made of our Power of Attorney and then home.  It was 4:00 by then and I was dragging.  I did a bit of laundry and got the bed ready for Deanna to pick up.  Deanna and Eric bought our king-size Tempurpedic bed.  I am so glad that it went to someone who will appreciate it and it didn't get stuck staying here.  I hope they love it as much as I did.  I sure was missing it last night!  They showed up at 6:00 and surprisingly enough it was pretty easy to move.  The three men, Mark, Eric and Deanna's dad, rolled up the mattress and cinched it together with straps.  The boxsprings are split down the middle so they were very easy to move.  I thought it was going to be a nightmare moving that bed, but it went very well.

Today we are going to pick up the van.  I don't think we will start to fill it yet until tomorrow.  I have all of the footlockers lined up and open against the wall so that I can see if something else can be added to each one.  I know their weights so it shouldn't be hard to figure out how much more I can add. It looks like Mark may or may not have an issue getting the still into Ecuador.  We will just have to see what they make of it and whether it will carry an import tax. 

I have been watching the weather in Miami very closely for about a week now.  A few days ago the predicted temp was going to be 89 and my heart sank.  Then it went down to 87, but when I checked this morning the forecasted temperature said 85.  I am holding my breath that it stays at 85 or goes even lower.  Some people have said that the airlines won't fly pets when the temperature is above 85, but whenever I have called LAN they have said that the area is ventilated and that they don't have any restrictions on pets flying in the summer.  Only the winter.  Please keep your fingers crossed that we get her there okay.

The Journey

I have to keep reminding myself why I'm doing this. Why I am moving so far from family and friends. I have the goal firmly in the front of my mind and it keeps me focused, but this is so far from easy. Last night I was reading my baby book and I came across a 6 page handwritten letter from my dad's friend, Rollie (not sure I spelled that right), congratulating my mom and dad on the birth of their baby girl. It was such a warm and heartfelt letter and it made me sad to think about what could have been and never was. Then I read a letter my Nana wrote to me when I was younger. It wasn't about anything important. Just the usual day to day stuff, but it reminded me of how Nana and I always wrote to each other when I was growing up. She always signed the letters with XXXOOO. So, I had myself a good cry last night. And on my walk this morning I just started sobbing again. Scout kept looking at me like, what the heck is going on? Then I had to wipe my eyes and nose on my t-shirt because I didn't have a Kleenex. Yuck. Why didnt i think to bring kleenex on my walk on the bikepath. Duh! I must be more stressed and emotional than I think I am.

  Mark took Finn to the dr.yesterday and I'm so glad he did. Another ear infection. He would have been miserable on the flight. I am a bit worried about the two of them in the mountains and how the climate is going to effect them. It could be better, but it could be worse. That is one of the reasons I don't want to get tied down in Cuenca with a business. There is a real possibility that we might have to move somewhere with a different climate.

  I tried to take the kids to the dentist too. What a nightmare. This is a new dentist because I wasn't happy with our other one. The waiting room is huge. We walked in and the entire room was filled with parents and kids. It was standing room only and we had a hard time just getting to the desk. I heard some guy say that he had been waiting for half and hour and I said forget it. We told them we weren't staying and got the hell out of there. We will go to a dentist in Cuenca. I'm sure it has got to be a better experience than that craziness.

  Dave came over and got our tv. We also gave him our computer desk. Chris arrived about the same time and got Grandpa's desk and the tandem. Mom came to give the kids back to Chris. We are going to meet mom and dad at The Feve for brunch on Sunday. The house was a complete disaster and Chris kept marveling about how much we still had to do, but within an hour of them leaving we had a good portion of the downstairs organized, cleaned and ready for packing. The rest of the day was spent packing. I think I am almost done. I have to pack up our comforter, my pillows and a few odds and ends. I'm hoping to stay under 14 bags, but we may end up with 15. Scout's paperwork should be arriving from the embassy today. Then I will be all done. Yeah! With not a moment to spare.

4 Days

and I have no idea how we are going to get all of this done. 

I know I have been blabbing on about how much I enjoy my morning walks with Scout, but I really do!  I go to bed looking forward to getting up in the morning, and the thought of going for a walk gets me out of bed the next day.  I like to get up at 6 and get going right away because the sun is still low in the sky and the bike path is shaded.  And there is no one on it.  If I wait until 7:00 like I did yesterday then only part of the path is shaded and it is much, much warmer.  The only thing I don't like about being the first one on the trail is the spider webs stretched across the path.  Today one hit me at face level right across the mouth.  Yuck.

I know I've also talked about the catbirds, but they are just so comical.  If you don't know, a catbird is a small light gray bird a little smaller than a robin with a darker gray cap.  Its own song sounds like a cat with a scratchy throat, but they are like mockingbirds and will sing a long roll of other bird's calls all mixed up together too.  They mostly sing the robin's call, but I can also hear a cardinal, blue jay, finch and sparrow.  Yesterday I thought I heard a Baltimore Oriole make its machine gun rat-a-tat-tat, but it was only a catbird fooling me.  There is one catbird that likes to sing at the top of a barren tree almost every morning.  It sings its little heart out.  That is until I come into its vacinity and then it always switches to the plaintive Meow, Meow.  Then once I pass the tree it starts back up with it rolling bird song. Funny. 

My shoulder is infected where they took out the mole.  The neosporin isn't doing the trick, so I'm going to try lavender.  It helped Finn's eye when he burned it with the marshmallow, so I might as well give it a go. The one on my leg doesn't hurt, but it fills up with liquid that I need to squeeze out every day.  Fun, right? 

Yesterday we headed to the beach at Lakeview Park with Nana and the cousins.  Right as I was turning onto Baumhart the vet called and said that Scout's paperwork was in, so I turned around and headed there.  Got the paperwork and then went to UPS for hopefully the last time.  Overnighted it with a return envelope, which should arrive on Friday.  $94.  :(

The beach was HOT!  It would have been fine if I was able to go in the water, but I could only go up to my knees.  Nana brought an umbrella so I tried to stay in the shade as much as possible.  It would get windy every once in awhile and we would have to hold onto the umbrella to keep it upright.  The breeze was both a blessing and a curse.  The boys and Tali had a great time, but Hannah?  Well, let's just say that she is a 14 year old girl and leave it at that.  We stayed until 5, grabbed some Taco Bell for dinner (probably for the last time) and then headed home to take it easy before hitting the hay. 

Natali-in-Ecuador

Natali-in-Ecuador:  and

Crunch Time!

I am super tired, so if there are any typos, I apologize.  Yesterday Scout had her final vet exam and the health certificate was issued.  Hopefully it will arrive tomorrow from the USDA.  Then, on to the Ecuadorian Embassy in Washington.  Running out of time! 

Mark met with our lawyer and we are in the process of finishing up our wills and trusts.  I think he will be done with the final papers tomorrow or Thursday.  Luckily we were able to get this appointment with him.  Since he is an attorney notary he was able to notarize the papers and I could skip the step to the County Clerk.  That was a relief. 

We spent most of the day packing and packing and cleaning.  I think we are doing pretty good.  I have 6 footlockers packed and ready to go ranging in weight from 42 to 45 lbs.  Don't want to go over that dreaded 50 lbs.  We kept one of the kid/lamb scales behind and we are using that to weigh our luggage.  It has definitely come in handy. 

A few months ago I had bought two original Kindles for the kids.  There aren't going to be many children's books in English down there and I want them to still read, so I thought a Kindle would be a great way to keep them going.  Plus they were $30 off!  I decided to give them to Finn and Tali last night so that we could download a couple of books for the trip.  They were ecstatic.  They kept thanking me and Mark over and over and over again.  I appreciate that they feel real gratitude when they get something special. 

Today I had an appt. at the dermatologist's to get a cancer screening and to take a look at that spot on my leg.  The dr. ended up liquid nitrogining (made up word) the one on my leg and that hurt like crazy and continued to hurt for about an hour.  She also found a mole on my shoulder that I thought was kind of pretty, but that she said had to go!  So, she numbed that shoulder and scraped it off to be biopsied.  Didn't hurt a bit at the time.  It really hasn't bothered me all that much, although it is a bit hot to the touch and a little sore. 

We had quite a bit of running around to do after the drs.  Dropped paperwork off at lawyers and then we went to the Backpackers Shop.  I wanted to get more Smart Wool socks and to look at a back-up pair of hiking boots.  I ended up getting the exact same Tevas that I already have, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it.  I talked Mark into getting two pairs of Smart Wool socks and I don't think he will regret it even though they ARE $20 a pair.  Yikes!

Then we ate lunch and headed over to Charter One to finish up my IRA paperwork.  We were able to overcome a hurdle when we realized that my mother who has Power of Attorney will be able to sign the necessary paperwork in order for them to release the funds.  Otherwise it was going to be this huge ordeal getting my signature.  Yeah!

Our mailforwarding service is up and running.  It is pretty cool, I have to say.  I logged in and there were the covers of two scanned envelopes for Mark from STRS.  I clicked that I wanted them opened and the contents scanned and then I will be able to view the letters inside.  I can then decide whether I need the contents forwarded or shredded.  A very neat little service.

Back home to pack a few more suitcases.  Now I am beat and headed for bed.  Tomorrow...the beach with Nana and the cousins!!!  I can't go in the water because of my booboos.  I hope I can stay cool on what looks like a 95 degree day.  I'm going to bring my spray bottle and dip my feet in at least.

Bon Voyage Party

What a great party!  Lots of friends and family, present and past.  It was so great to see everyone.  All of my friends came except Mollie who is on her way to Colorado.  Unexpected surprises were the Gardners, the Cunninghams and the Burvis'.  It seemed like everyone had a great time and I know I did.  The food was awesome and it all got eaten.  The cake was beautiful and tasty.  The kids had a blast and played Capture the Flag up to 11:00p.m.  It brought back a lot of memeories of our neighborhood gang playing those games way back when.  My brother, David, flew all the way in from Oregon to help send us off.  It was really nice to see him and it meant a lot. He has friends that live on the coast in Peru and have offered him their house around November.  It is a 6 bedroom house on a yoga retreat.  If he goes he is going to come and visit us in Cuenca.  We would also like to visit him in Peru.  That would be awesome and a great reason to take a road trip. 

Saying goodbye to Cathy was super hard.  We both cried in each other's arms.  :(

My sister is heading to Senegal today for three weeks for work.  I do not envy her the day of travel ahead of her.  Hopefully we will be able to join Nana and the boys doing something this week.  We have appts. everyday plus the packing and cleaning.  This house is trashed.  There is stuff everywhere.  I hope it all comes together in the end.