Four Months in England

Good Morning, All ... Up and at 'em ... returning the 20' UHaul truck at 8 this morning, Kelly and Henry did two full loads yesterday, and there are only a few items left which Kelly will haul on his trailer today.  I'm picking up some more bins to pack incidentals and more bubblewrap for my Capodimonte table lamps.  Today I'll snap photos of my empty house, you aren't going to believe it.  I don't.  From what it was, to what it is. Next we have to reorganize the storage barn somewhat, so the theatre players group can get to their props for the upcoming productions remaining this year. Right now it's an obstacle course ... lol lol Soooooooo ... my dear Britain, the day is arriving, I'm almost there!  July Fourth I leave Cambria!  In my mind's eye I'm already on the coach ride from Heathrow to Weymouth.  Haven't done that ride since 2014. I'm so ready!  The last two trips have been to Europe, one this last December 2015, and one in A

FOUR MORE DAYS ... not counting today and the departure day ... I will leave Cambria and return on December 21.  I am having high anxiety!  Big time!  Last night I was so tired after another day of moving contents of the house to storage, although I wasn't doing the actual lifting and moving, my two guys were.  Still it was as if I was doing it right along with them. Could be the additional packing and shuffling things around that I was doing at the same time.  Just as it will happen again today.  Most all be done today! Today the focus is on what's left, including the furniture. My oh my!   But first, I have to drive to Morro Bay and pick up the UHaul truck for my guys to use for the BIG stuff.  In 30 minutes I'll be on the road. Just wanted to send this along for an update. The Dollar to British Pound is $1.35 this morning ... I'll convert my currency when I arrive in Weymouth.  Just did some research and the fees are less for conversion by using USA debit cards a

WEYMOUTH, HERE I COME, IN LESS THAN A WEEK! Oh my ... it's getting so close to D day, departure day.  So close.  Next Monday.   Today I did more packing of the odds and ends that are left in the house, while Kelly loaded the first of the bins and boxes to be moved to the storage barn. We had a final inspection appointment with the Fire Department at the Pewter Plough Playhouse, so with Kelly's loaded trailer and my loaded car we made the appointment on time and passed with flying colors.   I'm so glad that's done.  It's taken four inspections to pass.  No more till a year from now, they inspect once a year.  This one was a toughie, for things had gotten so far out of hand that it has been a nightmare fixing everything to code on top of all the improvements we've made since 2014.  No one was overseeing the maintenance of the building the past few years, Jim wasn't good at it, neither was James. So it fell to me, the theatre tenant wasn't on top of

Day 3 was actually written for June 25 ... noticed that it wasn't posted till past Midnight and became June 26.  So that was wrong.  Today is June 26. This morning Barbara Roche and I drove to Paso to pick up a futon bed that was on sale, perfect for my new digs when I return in January.  I was afraid it wouldn't be available six months from now.  Its metal frame is the same color my walls will be painted, and will be against one of the walls in my TV room ( although I'm thinking of TVs in both rooms, I have 2 big flat screens, may as well use them ... lol lol ).  Anyway couldn't pass up this bargain.  BUT ... they were out of stock. So we went to the "Cowgirl Cafe" in Paso and had lunch instead.  Then we came back and ordered it online at the same reduced price ( $98 - free shipping ) and it will be delivered this Friday.  Was meant to be!  Yippee, I have a bed that fits!   The usual mattress & box springs would take up too much room in my small sp

Can't believe it's only eight more days to departure ... just can't believe it! Tonight I attended the Champagne Opening of the latest production by the Pewter Plough Players ( who are changing their name at the end of the year to suit their new venue in Morro Bay ) and tonight I realized all the work there is left to do in the coming year.  For them, the players, and for me.  Me in absentia. And then, yes, I'll be producing all the plays next year ... quite a challenge, but one that I know I can handle ... I mean I had one of the best mentors ever:  Jim Buckley, the founder of the Pewter Plough Playhouse.  I've learned from one of the best.  And I know I can make him proud, as well as several other mentors I've had over the years in theatre. I have quite an endeavor ahead of me, I know, in addition to my next six months in England to write a novella.  I have two tenants at the Pewter Plough Playhouse who share the PPP complex, and who will interface with

This morning I woke up thinking I should take a day from the dirty work (garage packing and disbursing) to take care of incidentals - paperwork, communications, arrangements - and all the critical stuff that needs to be done now, cleared from my brain.  Too much stirring around up top is overwhelming.  So that's what I'm doing today, removing some of those thoughts, 9 days before I leave. At the top of the list were my airline tickets.  I use Orbitz.com.  My round trip is composed of two tickets - one from LAX to London Heathrow $580, one from London Heathrow to Moscow to LAX $585.   In order to get the more convenient departure times, I chose these even though on the return flight I will have a six-hour lay-over in Moscow.  Yes, Russia! But on thinking about it, I have been wondering if I could change my December return flight to the USA, bypassing Russia, that's a really long time to be traveling.   Well, these are the rules - I can cancel the December return flight,

This evening, after a grueling morning of more packing and finally succumbing to the physicality of it, feeling the bodily pains and finally admitting I am truly tired and overwhelmed after weeks of packing the house in order to move everything to storage next Tuesday and Wednesday, I am facing the final days of winding it up and preparing to leave for England ... at last! Yes, at last!  So the countdown seriously begins, time is short.  Today is the twenty-third of June ... the thirtieth is a week from today, last day of June next Thursday, the day I close up the house that will be waiting for its next owner. Then four days later, on the fourth of July, I leave town to begin my trek for a six-month sojourn in Dorset before returning to Cambria to take the helm of the Pewter Plough Playhouse and produce a full 2017 Season of plays and entertainment. More excitement!  In the meantime I'm hoping the exhilaration of seeing one of my dreams come true - living on another continent