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7/14 We just returned home from a trip to Dave and family's, then on to Prescott to take care of some pre-move matters. We had a wonderful, relaxing several days with Dave and Carolyn and the girls. It is a 2 day drive from Atascadero to Prescott at about 600 miles. We drove 400 to Needles the first day, camped in 110 degree weather, then in the morning, drove the last 200 miles to Prescott. While there we met our future insurance agent. We then opened a bank account at B of A. Their economy senior's account gave us all the features we wanted such as low minimums ($100) for free checking, on-line banking (including free bill-pay), we can get our checks with our statements as well as see them on-line. We also got a safe deposit box there. It is also nice that we can do just about anything with the account from Escondido that we can from Prescott. It was very interesting - while we were at the "new accounts" desk, Katie of BofA called Social Security, had each of us talk to the SS rep, and got our Social Security payments transferred to the new account before we hung up. We were about a week ahead of the deadline to get this month's checks changed! (We also get a $10 rebate after the first direct deposit payment is made to our account.) We then got a P.O. box. This gives us 2 Arizona addresses now. The address of our lot will not work until construction is far enough along to have a mail box. Actually neither address should be used yet, as we will only check our PO box when we are there. We just wanted to get an address in AZ that we can give when needed. It will be much more useful once we move to an RV park near there. I like our new post office! When you go in, you take a number and sit down until called. Around here you stand in line shoving your packages along the counter (if there is one), until you are first in line. We drove to Phoenix one day (HOT!) and toured the factory of the home we will be buying. We had a couple of discussions with the developer working out details of our house and garages. We borrowed all the carpet, vinyl, cabinet, counter, tile, paint, roofing, and fabric samples and made most of our decisions there. We still have not finalized the outside wall and trim colors. Of course the roof color will depend on these choices. I sure hope the color fidelity of my digital camera is good enough to let us review all these samples and our choices! We had a very productive trip, and as usual, excellent times with our good friends Betty and Gene Wilkison. We are really looking forward to having them as neighbors! We drove the 400 miles home in one day. We have to find a good stopover point. That is just too far! I don't remember when I was as tired as I was yesterday after getting home. I'm sure the stress of the situation is not helping, either. I talked to our realtor today after church. She says one of the earlier couples we had look at the house is quite interested, but a little daunted by the price. We may well get an offer from them. There is also another more recent viewer who is interested, she says. We will see. For your future records, our address is: (Removed for online security) I'll let you know more when we learn more. Dick and Betty
7/22 Hi, It's way too soon to celebrate, but our house is going into escrow this morning!!!! Just as we were preparing to leave for an afternoon concert at church yesterday, we got a call from a realtor who wanted to show the house. We indicated we would be leaving shortly, but they were welcome to come. The realtor and a young couple came just in time for us to meet them and wish them a good tour of the house. After the concert, Betty and I decided to run over to IHOP for a bite to eat. On the way, I got a cell phone call from our agent that we had an offer. (I was at a red light at the time, and didn't even have to toss the phone to Betty.) We turned around and met her at our house for all the paperwork. While here, our agent called the buyers agent who said "They just love the place". He is "into tools" and loves the shop, and wondered if I was interested in selling any of my tools. The sale is contingent on the close of their existing condo, which starts escrow today also. Their buyer is "very strong" with 40% down, so hopefully all will work. Both escrows are to close on Aug. 23. Our buyers are pre-approved for their loan (not just pre-qualified), so should not have any problems there. This is our second offer. Our first was about a week ago. We received a "lo-ball" offer, well below our range. We countered, but got no response back. That was just as well. We even thought so at that time, especially when we found that between looking at our house and making the offer, they had entered another escrow, which they then broke! I guess I have to get serious about cleaning out the garage, stone room, and machine shop! I guess I could just sell it all to the buyers. Yeah, right! Keep good thoughts and we will let you know what happens. Dick
8/11 Hi, Things are moving quickly here now. The official count (assuming today is over) is 8 days till the movers, 11 days till escrow close, and14 days till we head to Prescott! My spider bite is still present, but just barely so. After it had spread from my ear, forward on my face, up and back over my ear, and around the front hairline, it started continuing around to my left side, over that ear, and also down my forehead. The good news by this time is that the venom had gotten weak enough that it was not particularly visible, and had no pain unless I probed it with my fingers to locate it. It then pretty much continued on around the rear hairline. That is still about the status now, except I am having a harder time feeling it. I think in a couple of days it will be fully gone! I'm ready! It looks like the doctor was right on the money with his prediction of about two weeks to run its course. I have been working both on the repairs needed by the house inspection and packing. I have completed all repairs except replacing the door into the stone room. I have bought the door, and am waiting until I am in better shape on my packing. I cannot believe the weight of the door. It is only a 30 inch wide, 80 inch high, 1 3/8 thick door, but I can barely lift it! The garage is done! I have only done a little in the stone room (since a prior major thinning out), and the machine shop is starting to look pretty good! I may make it yet. The bench in my machine shop is empty! The tool chests that were on it are all packed and saran wrapped (to hold the drawers closed and provide protection). All the hardware on the shelves, all the Acro Mills hardware cabinets, and lots of miscellaneous stuff around the shop have been packed. The buyers came over today after church and we spent about 2 1/2 hours walking the property lines, going over the sprinkler system, alarm system, tv system, etc. We also discussed items I will leave for him and a few items he is buying from me. He is buying my metal cutting bandsaw, radial arm saw, wheelbarrow, and 24 foot ladder. That should help my shipping costs somewhat! I am also leaving him lots of wood, hardware, yard tools, patching materials, etc. They are moving from a condo where all outside work was handled for them, and are very anxious to acquire enough tools to handle things themselves. We are just totally thrilled with the buyers! They seem to be a perfect fit with the house and property. Most of the things that have been so important to us are also important to them. They are just thrilled with the property (in spite of the lack of landscaping in areas), the house, the pool, the shop and stone room. He is even very interested in my buried speaker wiring behind the walls. I really like them! Well, its getting late. Tomorrow I need to take Betty to her knitting group (yes, the Librascope Wives Knitting [Caw and Cackle Club] is still going!) then I am meeting Bob Bible for lunch. Then I can do some more packing! Talk to you soon, Dick
8/14 Hi, Things are still on track! (except for possibly my packing) Sorry to bore you with even more on my spider, but as Yogi said, "It ain't over till it's over!" After my last message, things were looking very good and I was sure all traces of the venom would be gone in a couple of days. WRONG! Monday evening, my right ear (where it all started) got bright red again and puffed up. I developed a very painful ear-ache deep in the ear. I could not believe I had been bitten again, and in the exact same place! In bed, there was no way I could lie on my right side and I was awake every half hour to an hour, with severe pain in the ear. I was beginning to wonder if I could wait till morning to get back to the doctor. (Now the weird part) At about 4:00 I awoke, and my ear did not hurt any more! I was totally wet, as though I had had a fever that just broke! I felt my ear and the swelling was down and I could now lie on it. In the morning I confirmed that the swelling and the red color were gone. Last nite my left ear was a little swollen and sensitive, but nothing like the right one had been . I really don't know what is happening! Maybe I did get another bite and it is just amplifying what I already had. I don't know. I have not accomplished much in the way of packing the last couple of days. Monday, I met Bob Bible for lunch and had a good chat. By the time I picked up Betty from her knitting group and ran a couple of errands, there was not much time left. Yesterday, Betty had a morning doctor's appt. I then had just enough time to pull the motorhome up to the garage, connect to my dump station and dump the tanks. After getting it parked again, we left for a campground near Lawrence Welk's where Jim and Nancy Winter are staying. Jim was a fellow charter member of the Wesley House with me many, many years ago at Cal Poly. He recently retired, and the two of them are two months into a three month camping trip around the country. They live in Beverly, Mass., just outside Boston. We spent the whole afternoon and evening with them. It was great to see them! Today Betty had another appointment. We grabbed a document which needed notarizing to try and do either before or after the appt. We went first into the B of A, then Washington Mutual, and finally Palomar Bank, the three banks we have dealings with. None of them would do a notaization unless it was for bank business! This is ridiculous! We were running out of time, so proceeded to Poway for a hip and knee joint replacement seminar we had signed up for. Afterwards, we decided to stop by our realtor's office and see if anyone there was a notary. We ended up in the escrow company next door (it is associated with Remax in some way). We got our grant deed notarized very quickly. I asked our agent about a trust certification we had seen referenced, but had not been supplied to us. Two hours later, we left with (hopefully) all the documents which need to be notarized, completed! It is now almost 5:00 and I am ready to start packing for the day (really, the week!) With the movers coming in 6 days, and escrow closing in 9, I had better start getting serious! The other interesting thing I have been doing the last week is selling several more items on ebay. Several years ago I was cleaning out old accumulated magazines. I had some old Byte magazines for the very first years, and some Dr. Dobbs Journals. I kept the first 16 issues of Byte, and disposed of the later ones. Same with the Dr. Dobbs, but I kept more. I also had about 4 years worth of Automobile Quarterly, a beautiful hard cover book with writeups on all vintages of automobiles which my dad had subscribed to his last several years. I listed each of these packages at $24.99 starting bid. The auctions closed last night. My Byte magazines sold for over $100 ! ! ! I almost gave these to the library! My Dr. Dobbs went for just under $50 and the Automobile Quarterly for a little over $50. I grossed over $200 for these books and mags! As the buyers pay shipping, my overhead is a couple of boxes I had to buy, that I didn't fully cover in my stated shipping charges, and the fee for the on-line credit card service. This can be fun! Speaking of fun, I think I'll go pack. Till later, Dick |