THE "SELL EVERYTHING WE OWN" GARAGE SALE IS OVER.....

Started at 8:00 AM Saturday

At noon, everything still there was dropped to half-price.

By 4:00 PM the last remains were at Goodwill, some tables had been returned and outside was all cleaned up. I can't really say it was fun.

At 5:00 PM it was obvious that we still had a house full of belongings.

It is true that most of the furniture has been sold to friends (definitely the bargains of the year). So a lot of the stuff we are using, actually belongs to the new owners....so I guess we are borrowing our own furniture.

BUT the best of the antiques, especially the heirloom antiques were still a question mark. One of us wanted to keep it, while the other sees it all as chaining us to the past and just a monumental headache. (FYI: "headache" isn't really the word I was thinking of.)

Well, this morning , Brenda announced that she really wanted to go ahead and get rid of it. YAHOO.

So, now....how do we sell the best of the antiques for a reasonable price in this economy. Not really sure, quite frankly. but we have a call in to the man we call the E-Bay guy.

Pictures worth a thousand words...

...and then this.

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!

Getting ready for the "Get Rid of Everything You Own" garage sale.

Unfortunately, we have just begun to move stuff out to the garage (staging area).

I am sure that Brennie may have something intelligent to say....

all I can come up with is "Too Much Stuff".

The plan is to have the garage sale this coming Saturday which is 6 days away.

The 10-day forecast on weather.com only predicts one day of rain

(thunderstorms) for the next 10 days.

Do I really have to say which day it is?

You can click on the pics to see more glorious details.

Yes I have decided to sell the Harley,
but probably not in the garage sale.

I wish I could say that all that junk is Brennie's.
Hey, wait a minute, I can say exactly that.
ALL THAT JUNK IS BRENNIE'S.
That must mean that the cool stuff is (was?) mine.

CHECKLIST FOR MOVING THE EASY WAY

1. Sell house - done
2. Hire some day labor - easy to do
3. Have day labor move everything into driveway - easy enough
4. Acquire gasoline - again .... easy
5. Combine items from steps 3 and 4
6. Strike match
7. Call cab for airport


It is not possible that this is an original idea.
I am pretty sure it is not even illegal.
Another couple days and Brennie might insist on the honors of step 6.

What keeps me going...

With only a month to go until closing on our house, the intensity level has been dialed up a notch. We are surprised with how difficult this process is. When a friend asked me the other day what this process feels like, I replied "imagine condensing down everything you have accumulated in your lifetime to one large suitecase". She was stunned into silence thinking about it. We're tense, tired, and - ok - a little scared. There are days when I wonder "What were we thinking?? This is just plain nuts!" And then I go to one of the blogs of our friends who live in Ecuador and I'm reminded of the 'why.' Friendship, health, adventure. No time clocks, moody bosses, or homework. Lots of sunshine. Ahhhhhhhh. We have earned our day in the sun.

The other day I tied ribbons around the keys to our Cuenca apartment and placed them by each of our computers. When I start feeling down, I glance up and know that our Camelot awaits.

Are they clean?

One of the reasons I love my new Blendtec is that whipping up a glass of fresh fruit or veggie juice a breeze. I've always heard that the concentration of vitamins and nutrients lay just under the skin, in the seed, and in the greens part of the fruit. So, in goes the whole tamale (cut up of course) but I found myself wondering..."how clean is this stuff we're consuming and what's the best way to clean produce before eating?"

I've been using a pricey product for years to clean my apples but it's doubtful I can find it in Ecuador. I went to the computer for answers and found this article published on the National Public Radio website. Good old vinegar to the rescue!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14540742

Here's another recipe I found developed by Virginia at the Polytechnic Institute and State University. Her disinfecting procedure uses white vinegar (or cider vinegar) and 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (the same as found at the drugstore). These are nontoxic, inexpensive and work not only on fruit and vegetables but can be used to sanitize counters and preparation surfaces, including wooden cutting boards, as well. Here’s the method:

Put the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide into individual dark-colored spray bottles. Spray your produce or work surface thoroughly first with vinegar and then with hydrogen peroxide. Then rinse the produce under running water or wipe the surface with a clean wet sponge. Viola! Life is good.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

OK now....let's get some perspective on this whole blender business.

This is Clarke here (not Brendita)

That blender is insanely expensive if you are just going to make juice and smoothies and soup and other (stupid stuff) with it.

Here is the real reason to get one....
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=will+it+blend&search_type=

From the softer side....

Greeting card philosophy of life.

I went shopping today for a thank you card to send to the OT team at my recently completed clinical site (only one more to go!) As some of you know, I went back to school a couple years ago after losing my job in the non-profit sector. Yes, I already had a masters degree but wanted to do something different while getting my foot in the medical field where the good paying jobs are. So, off I went back to school at the age of 53 for an AA degree as an Occupational Therapy Assistant with classmates my children's age. And then there was the "detour" to Ecuador...

Anyways, back to the greeting card. I found a card that fits my outlook on life, and probably many of the folks who have pulled up roots from a comfortable lifestyle to move to a foreign country with a different culture and language. "Why did you do it?" is one of my favorite questions when I meet new expats because I enjoy hearing the variety of answers. I finally have my reply ready for when I get asked the question.

"Life shouldn't be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather a skid sideways, champagne in one hand, body thoroughly used up and worn out, screaming "WOO-HOO, what a ride!"

That's my answer and I'm sticking to it.

Enjoy the adventure~

Brenda (and Clarke)

Just Gassed Up The Pick-Up

$55 to fill er up.

OR

220 Cuenca Bus Rides

(440 if you are >65)

OR

30 Taxi Rides

Yikes!!

From the softer side...

Best Show in Town!

Last week we went to Sam’s Club to kill time while the house was being shown. Going to Sam’s and eating free samples is our primary source of entertainment here in Topeka, Kansas...(sad but true). Consequently, Clarke was not a happy camper when he learned that a business decision was made recently by Sam’s corporate office to discontinue free samples. He was downright indignant! I told him to look at the bright side. At least he wouldn't get his hand slapped every week by Marge for trying to sneak an extra.

Much to our surprise, free samples were being offered on this day, compliments of Blendtec Total Blender. It was an amazing demonstration 'road show' and we had front row seats. Their little 1560 watt machine did everything from pulverizing grain into flour then transforming it into bread dough, to making ice cream incorporating fresh spinach (tasting is believing!). It even makes hot soup using fresh vegetables. But the best of show were, hands down, their smoothies.

You know how you're supposed to purchase the product they offer free samples for? Guess what we brought home?

Apparently every Starbucks and Juice Stop in the USA uses these machines to whip out their smoothies and frappacinos. I was mesmorized as I thought about about the gastronomical creations this little machine could do with the cheap and abundant fresh fruits, veggies, and coffee in Ecuador! "Captain Carnivore" just wanted to know how I planned to cook a steak in it! Oh, ye of little faith...

So, the free samples at Sam's ended up costing $400. My 'closer' for the purchase was that it's an investment in our health and longivity as we incorporate more raw, unprocessed and 'live' food into our new lives in retirement. Clarke does not necessarily share my enthusiasm for this health kick but he's being a good sport.

The photo above shows off my first creation in the new machine. I'm still on a high from all the nutrients! Best wishes to all until we meet again~

Brenda (and Captain Carnivore)

ESTOY CASI RETIRADO

GOOD NEWS AND SEVEN LAYER TORTES

Good News: We have put the house back on the market.
Good News: No one has been sick or injured for 2 whole weeks!

Good News: It is absolutely beautiful looking out the window.

Good News: A fresh winter storm is beautiful to look at.

Good News: This might be our last winter storm.

Good News: The "Countdown to Cuenca" on the blog reads 100 days.

Good News: If this isn't our last winter storm, the next one might be.

Good News: I haven't wrecked a car since Christmas.

Good News: The latest round of school budget cuts are not my concern.

Good News: Did our taxes yesterday. Single income = very low taxes.

Good News: Being married to Brennie is always good news.
Good News: I still have the makings for more pigs in a blanket.

Kansas Seven Layer Torte:

• Alternating layers of freezing rain, ice pellets and snow.
• Plenty of each.
• Been going on for about 24 ours now.
• Can't wait to shovel the driveway. For the last time?

Living high on the hog...

My sweet husband said he was going to make a special Valentines dinner for me. You would think that after 25 years, I would not be surprised with what this guy comes up with. Pigs in a Blanket? I take pride in the fact that I have never made them for our family. However, it was fine dining at it's best, complete with non-alcoholic beer, yellow mustard and plenty of laughs. I sure hope June 1st comes quick before we OD on junk food!

Happy Valentine's day to you all!

Brenda (and Clarke)

UH OH....

Brenda has the same lung/bronchial/sinus thing that I am starting to get over. It is not contagious....yet I know that somehow it is my fault she has it. I am not clear on how it is my fault....she will explain it to me later.

ON THE POSITIVE SIDE:
The meds for this are $15.70 PER PILL. That is not a typo. Almost $16 per pill! So what is the positive side, you might ask? If you get the right doctor, and explain that you have the world's worst health insurance, (you know, the magical policy that never pays for anything), you might get a voucher for the meds. We did! Got over $300 of meds free that our world class insurance company would never pay for. We are probably the reason that the DJIA ("the Dow") has plummeted like 600 points in the last week or so. Our fault. The gods are still laughing.

THE GODS MUST BE LAUGHING NOW!!

Remember those cheesy B-movies of the 50's and 60's featuring Greek heroes (Hercules for instance)? Remember how there would be scenes of the Greek gods looking down at the hero of the movie, and messing with them.......usually for the amusement of the gods? Remember those movies? That concept has always stuck with me. Well the gods must be really bored because they are having a good time with me.

For instance, I almost never get sick. Period. Maybe a cold every other year, but literally nothing else. I don't get flu shots. I can eat food at work Friday (yogurt, cheese, etc) that I took to work Monday and didn't bother to refrigerate. I have always explained it as....my ancestors must have been the poorest of the poor. The only way to continue the family line was to develop resistance to all illness and disease.

OK, now for the laughing gods part. On returning to Kansas for one last winter, I was hoping for an unusually mild winter...you know, it's the last winter, so....horrible, bitter winter. Absolutely loathsome.

Remember the '10 feet tall and bulletproof'' part? The 'I never get sick' part? I have never been this sick in my life. Never. It is just one thing after another, a variety of illnesses, injuries, infections, food poisoning and chronic pain. Even had my first car wreck in 30 years (my fault) munched my neck real good. It is unbelievable! It seems, that the week that I get over one thing, 'hello momma', here is something new.

So back to those pesky gods, you must be having a swell time ...... because I know I am not. Well, I haven't gotten a flu yet. I got the regular flu shot for the first time ever and the H1N1. Hah!

Gotta go now .... to the doctors....again. Seriously. No joke. I am headed for the doctor's right now. Some kind of nasty lung thing this time.