FIFTH DAY IN VEGAS!

Whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!  Is that the saying?  Ha! Well not in my life, I tell all. ❤️❤️❤️❤️.  Yes, it’s been 5 days since I’ve returned from England. It’s good to be back in the USA, can’t deny that. Of course all the pandemic and now riots over the George Floyd death are consuming the country and its people, and the news media. The last three months out of six in England were in isolation from COVID19, and now that’s lifting here, but the country is still in turmoil. Tragic and sad. 

This morning I received a text from the Nevada Health Dept., requesting I sign an agreement to self-quarantine for 14 days (9 to go), which I had already begun. They sent it electronically, I did a docu-sign. So I am formally in quarantine. Doesn’t bother me at all. We know that I’m somewhat of a recluse anyway. This gives me a legitimate excuse. 

I’m missing my favorite British detectives’ series non-stop on ITV3 in England. Haven’t found anything to replace that here. I may have to watch them on my MacAir, Netflix or Acorn Apps. There are 200+ channels on this TV in the motel where I’m staying till I find an apartment. But nothing is appealing to me yet, though something will emerge. 

Okay, what’s happening in the now ... well other than stuffing Vick’s Vapor-rub up my nose for sinus congestion, and drinking coffee at the moment, I’ve been doing all I can to facilitate a smooth move into the apartment, when it happens - timing is important. Target date is 26th of this month.  I’ve ordered MyPillow mattress toppers for two beds; new bedspreads and sheets for three beds; towels for two bathrooms. They will all be shipped to me here at the motel. My plan is to rent a car for two weeks when I go apply for the apartment, and then to move all the stuff from the motel, and shop for a few things I might need till Kelly comes with my stuff from storage in July. 

Because I don’t have beds or dining table ... left those in my place in Cambria for Alex to use in the rental - daybeds and dining set, didn’t want them anymore, time to move on to something else ... for now I’ll rent beds and dining table at least for a year, until I buy what I want. So as soon as I have an address, Cort Furniture Rentals has next-day delivery, and I’ve already made my selections. And also at the same time I’ll order and buy from Wayfair already selected chairs and sofa for living room, which I don’t have in storage either. I must say I’m excited about all this newness. A new beginning, a new place to live in a new city, new furniture, and a new and exciting future!

In the meantime, I’m using Von’s grocery delivery and restaurant take-out delivery, just as I will in the apartment, setting up accounts and getting familiar with them now. And since I’m in quarantine, that works really well.  

So I’m okay, hope you all are too, and we’ll talk later.  See you on Facebook, my main way to communicate. For those of you who have my cell number, texts work, and so does Messenger, and WhatSApp. I use all three. Don’t care for phone calls. 

Much Love to you all .... ❤️❤️❤️💕💕💕🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶

Rebecca B.

FOUR DAYS TO BYE BYE

Yes, in four days I’ll be saying goodbye to Weymouth and Abbotsbury friends.  It’s been quite different Than the year-long journey in the UK and Europe that I had planned, being sequestered two months of it. But I still enjoyed this six months in England, and I’ll return to do more traveling in other places another time.

So, it’s onward to my new life of living in Las Vegas, Nevada, next week. I figure it’ll take a month to set up an apartment rental and get the ball rolling on furnishing it with both new Wayfair furniture (have an account) and with previous belongings from my storage in California. One day at a time, I’m telling myself again, like I was last October when I began packing to leave Cambria. Slow and steady.

And now it’s all coming together. At last.  I see how it has come to this moment, how everything happens for a reason just as I’ve always believed. How this all began several years ago ... I can see where I was in my thinking then,  and can now see how it has materialized to something I’ve wanted for a long time. Amazing! Hindsight is much easier than knowing the future, however. So, I only know I’m on the right track to possibly a peaceful AND a fruitful future in a place I feel I will thoroughly enjoy.

This time next week I’ll have been in Vegas a night and day. Should be over the jet-lag and starting to plan the next steps in this girl’s life!

VIVA LAS VEGAS!

COVID-19 IN PLACE

Yes, I’m in place, waiting out the UK COVID edicts.  I moved upstairs to a more spacious room than before, has a table and a chair. And a bigger fridge. Even two windows for cross-draft, two twin beds besides my queen. Very roomy. Larger clothing cupboard too ... and bathroom. But Internet is sketchy. Drives me crazy.

So here I am. Still making changes, still figuring it out as I go. So please bear with me on my ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ modus operandi. I’ve decided to return to the States on the 27th of this month. I may as well sit in a hotel there as here.  Las Vegas is opening up soon and I can start looking for an apartment and get on with my life, time’s a wastin’! Am eager to get on with it.  So I’ll leave Weymouth on May 27 by train for Heathrow.  Am booked into a hotel near Heathrow airport, and will take an early flight out on the morning of the 28th, will arrive in Vegas at 5:00pm. YES! Trains, planes, hotels are booked. Ready and waiting, just like me.

YES!  YES! YES!  I decided not to drag it on, just for the sake of waiting for places I’ve  been to before to open up here. Would have returned in July anyway, end of 6 months legal stay here. No point in waiting. I’m ready to get on the road again!

So, am planning to stay in a hotel on the strip till my apartment of choice (below) is confirmed and available. Then will order beds to be delivered, and will purchase living room suite. Those and a few other incidental purchases will suffice until I can arrange for furnishings from Calif storage to be delivered. I may make a quick trip to my storage unit myself and get a few things I’ll need right away.

By August or September, moving all my stuff from storage will be scheduled to arrive. By November for completion and then will be able to receive visitors, after all is in place, my friends and sisters.  Not before. Now that is really exciting! You have no idea how I’m feeling at this moment. Very happy!

VEGAS OR BUST!

RECAP AND NEW DIRECTION

It was October First, as I recall, when I made the decision to put all my stuff - furnishings, antiques, collectibles, belongings - in storage and hit the road by January First. I would drive my car to Utah and gift it to my sister. That gave me three months to pack it all, store it, and get underway.

I had sold my property in Cambria the year before, but was still living in the beautiful upstairs apartment over the theatre I had created with the help of my Handy Dandy Kelly three years before.

When my dear feline beauty was no longer (Gawd, I miss him), there was absolutely no reason to remain where I was. I had lived in Cambria three  different times in my life, and I finally felt done with it.

At first I thought it would be great to retire in England, something I’d contemplated over the years but hadn’t researched.  Too bad, because since 2008 the UK hasn’t issued exPat visas to US citizens. So there is no way I could do it since the present list of entry visas excludes me. Other than the regular 6-month stay.

Well then, being the flexible person that I am, I could just travel from one country to another, stay in each country the legal limit and see the world till I was weary of travel. Then pick a place where I want to live in the US.

So I planned it all out and scheduled the first year of travels. England, Ireland, France, QM2 Atlantic Crossing, New York, Maine, Canada, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland. All booked in advance - hotels, flights, trains, etc.

The second week of January, on the road to Utah with my sister Martha McMullen Ross,  we discussed where I might want to settle when I returned. We  spent one night in Las Vegas and we both agreed Vegas should be on my list.  We were traveling from my other sister Mary McMullen Matejcek's home in California on the way to Martha’s in Utah - visiting sisters before my departure. I was delivering Martha and my car to her house and was then boarding a flight from Salt Lake City to Heathrow - the beginning of my elaborate and exciting journey. I left  the US January 15. By the time I reached England, I crossed off the other three town choices and decided on settling in Vegas after the trip. So on with the journey.

My plan was to spend three months in each country, one town a month - that would keep me interested and I'd even experience some new areas I had always wanted to see, as well as revisiting others.

While in Weymouth, England the first month, I changed up the plan somewhat. Cancelled the Northern America excursions, with plans to do all those places at another time. Lost money on that decision. But I wanted to go to Phoenix for Thanksgiving with son. And then to Las Vegas to live. The more and more I thought of it, the more excited I became about Las Vegas.

Then in my second month in England, as planned, in Abbotsbury, I thought maybe I should not stay in Ireland three months. So I re-scheduled one of those months in Scotland and one in Luxembourg  before going to France.  All was well.

Then Coronavirus reared its ugly head and everything changed.

I eventually had to cancel all flights, some were canceled for me, and I booked a flight back to the States for March 28, when my accommodations in Abbottsbury were to end. I had extended Abbotsbury two weeks because its so beautiful - total 6 weeks there.

But nothing was working out for me back in the States, to return to, movers, apartment rentals, etc., costs.  But then the orders to isolate and lock down came down the pike in both countries, so that was easy, I decided to stay put and spend the full 6 months in England on my UK visa.  Lucky for me I was able to get flight refunds and miles credited to my accounts. But I have lost close to additional $5000 on cancelled accommodations. Not good.

Now I was faced with finding a place to stay the remainder of my time. First I decided to book Lyme Regis, and two other towns further west. Then the first two ... Lyme Regis and Torquay in Devon ... cancelled on me due to new UK edicts RE Coronavirus, no refund on Lyme Regis.   So I cancelled the last one in Cornwall because I could see the writing on the wall with ground transportation ... and there you go.  Back to square one. Where to stay close by ...?

Weymouth was most logical since  I know it and have friends here. But, Ha! It was difficult finding a place on budget, located near sea and town. But I found one and grabbed it! I dont care that its small, I dont care that the cleaners may have eyesight problems when it comes to the bathroom floor corners (if it bothers me too much, I'll clean them, I have an extra toothbrush), I dont care if the pillow cases are worn thin (they are sort of cozy soft and I sleep well), I dont care if there isnt a chair in my room, no real problem, there's a vanity stool). As I've already described where I am staying in an earlier post, you already know I'm content. I'll be here till June 26.

On June 26, I move to a nice seafront hotel for 16 nights with lounging rooms and beachview, dining, bar, breakfast included, right near the shops and restaurants. Hopefully by then circumstances will be better and life will be returning to normal.

Then on July 12 for three nights in Wareham, I'll be staying in a 16th C hotel. I'm doing it that way in order to not be rushed and catch a direct train (no changes) to Woking on July 15, and then a hired car to Heathrow and a direct flight to Las Vegas.  End of 2020 travel.

But wait! I’ve more changes since I wrote the above on Facebook. I was sitting here thinking, if the travel is back on in July, then why rush back to the States. Why not at least recoup some of the travel I planned. So after the stay in Wareham, I’ll take a train to Bristol, spend a night and fly to Dublin the next morning. Yes, I’m going to Ireland for three months as originally planned. But here’s a new one I hadn’t planned, I’m going to Belgium for my last two weeks before I fly out of Brussels on Oct 31 to Las Vegas.  THATS THE NEW PLAN. We’ll see how long that lasts.

So thats how I wound up back in Weymouth and where I'm going from here. So far, so good. Actually, it’s all good!

What day is this? I'm confused.

WHAT'S GOING ON NOW?

I can answer that question for me.  Easy.

First I canceled all my traveling plans, could foresee the dilemma of European travel coming, especially air travel when one of my flights was canceled. So at first I felt maybe I needed to get the hell out of Dodge and go back to the States when I could.  So I cancelled all my remaining eight months of accommodations and flights. First premature reaction.

Then I booked an airplane back to the States for March 28, when my stay here in Abbotsbury ends.  Then came the news that all travel would be blocked to the USA.  So I rebooked a flight for the 17th, cancelled the 28th.  Second premature reaction.

Now after seeing what all is happening in the States in towns and cities, Las Vegas included, MEDIA FUELED, I decided I'd just hang out in England till my visa expires on July 15.  So I took a deep breath and relaxed.

Up to now I've had a wonderful month in Weymouth by the seashore, followed by nearly 90 days in Abbotsbury in the rolling green hills of Dorset countryside.  I will leave Abbotsbury as planned on the 28th, but next stop is to an apartment in Lyme Regis on the seafront further west.

HERE ARE SOME OF MY FRIENDS ALONG THE WAY SO FAR ....

HERE ARE A FEW PLACES IVE STAYED SO FAR .... more photos to come.

DRASTIC CHANGE OF PLANS

Good Morning from Abbotsbury, Dorset, UK!

A lot of changes from when I first began this year-long journey back in January.  By February I cut the last two months of it - Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, because I'd made the decision to return to the States in September at the end of the ship crossing, instead of November, and fly directly to Las Vegas to rent an apartment. Then more changes happened to some of the destinations in Europe for a variety of reasons. Yesterday I cancelled the entire trip after my stay here which ends March 28.  The main reasons are the increasing spread of the Corona Virus in Europe, travel becoming more difficult, and my not feeling up to speed this last month. I think it's time to call it a day and go home. Home, at the moment, being Las Vegas, as soon as I can get there and set up an apartment.

So ... there you have it in a nutshell! I'm not unhappy with the different direction I'm taking, I'm actually relieved. Maybe I should keep my future travels to shorter contained trips, and book with tour groups to handle the physicality of it all - bags, transportation, etc. I find myself stuck without transportation a large part of the time, and would have been moreso in the countries ahead - I'm just not able to walk distances as I used to, absolutely no hilly terrain. And my sight is not the best when walking the lanes and stone surfaces. I need to face these facts. I need to be where taxis are easily accessible, as well as grocery deliveries, and safely in my cocoon with my beautiful collectibles and my iMac to write properly. My MacBookAir just doesn't do it for me.  By the way, Amazon is one of the best delivery services for miscellaneous household items. I do use them even here in the English countryside - reminds me of FedEx deliveries to remote areas in the wonderful Tom Hanks film.

If I were younger and more able-bodied and drove a car, this would be the ideal place and way for me to live, but since that isn't the case, it's not.  Las Vegas ticks all the boxes, and provides short cheap flights from LV to my main family and friends - CA, UT, AZ.  Even cheaper to fly to Heathrow - 30,000 Advantage miles, business class - one way, if and when I make that QM2 Atlantic crossing - haven't cancelled the QM2 yet ... could fly back in September and do just that. After I get a clean bill of health.

In the meantime, will still be taking photos and reporting on travels in Dorset, weather permitting.

Enjoy your own travels, and join me for the next chapter in this saga.  Luv you all.

MOVIN’ ON DOWN THE ROAD ... but first ...

Tomorrow I leave Weymouth, Dorset, UK. My second month in England will be in Abbotsbury, not far from here ... only a 20 minutes drive.

But before I leave, I have to tell you about my relationship with Weymouth over the years. I’ve witnessed the changing of the old to the new of a few of my favorite old world pubs on the Harbour, which I miss. It happens all over the world however. Newcomers, new owners, revamping of old to new sterile, trendy restaurants as the older patrons die off. Well I’m still here, but one person isn’t enough to make a business thrive. A more contemporary, new breed of patrons have appeared on the scene.

When I first came to Weymouth in 2003, I think it was, I was doing fishing villages on the southern coast of England - Hastings, Weymouth, Penzance. That was when my dear friends Martin Weller and Alison Weller owned the B & B where I first stayed in Weymouth. They are still here, but have sold the B&B and gone on to something new. Changes, changes. But always good friends.

Weymouth appeals to me because it’s a small boat Harbour, fishing boats and pleasure boats - motor and sail. The buildings here still are of centuries past, although most have modernized interiors. The churches are majestic, still reflecting Henry VIII’s dominion.  I love the history of these towns. Wikipedia is a good source for more reading of the region, and I always read all I can find about the places I go.

The Weymouth Esplanade stretches 1.3 miles along the sandy beach, south to north, from the old Ferry Terminal in the harbour to Preston Road (I took those ferries to St Malo, Spain when they were in operation). Summers attract families from all over to the Weymouth seaside ... it’s a working man’s holiday spot.  In the old times it was a Royal holiday spot, evident in a few grand hotels that still stand, somewhat weathered now, but evidence and stories of their previous Kings and Queens still abound.

I just love it here. Much more to write about it ... in fact my novella THE CHRISTMAS DIARY is set in Weymouth. You can get to it through my website ... is a quick read ...

Www.rebeccabuckley.com

FEBRUARY TILL 15TH

Yes, still in Weymouth till the 15th. I finally set up my computer for the first time since being here, just now, on the vanity next to the TV, and works fine for me. Didn't think it would work. Yaaay!  So now I can write properly again. Except I have to learn fingering positioning on this keyboard,too close together, not accustomed to it at all.

Yep, I plan to get back to writing today.  It's almost 3:00pm, the State of the Union address is at Midnight here, so I've plenty of time between.  I AM going out to eat dinner tonite however though, am craving a real meal other than from my food stash in my room.  Getting sick of that.  lol lol. Have to change it up a bit. Maybe at the Nothe Tavern on the hill, or Prezzo on the harbour. Tomorrow nite will have dinner at The Glouchester, a couple blocks up the street, meeting with Martin & Ali and their Harris family. That will be fun seeing the boys and their sister Lana again. Then on Saturday will be going up to West Bay on the beach for the night and a dinner. Staying over til Sunday and will have a leisurely trip back to Weymouth. 

It may seem as if all I'm doing in England so far is sleeping and eating, watching USA politics, reading. It's all true. Just adjusting to my new lifestyle, not having to do or be anything or anyone but me.  Whoever ME is.  Am certainly on a quest to find that out. Slow but sure.  I've even questioned my recent, very recent, decision to rid myself of ALL my belongings, collections, furnishings, in storage, keeping only what I have with me. I keep weakening on that decision, going back and forth, but I'm gathering all my strength to go through with it.  I tell myself it's time, why hang on to all that stuff? I've enjoyed it long enough, time for somebody else to have it now - not after I'm dead and gone. Besides, I'm doing without it on my year away, and don't want to have to move it all to where I decide to settle forever how long. I feel a little guilt I've decided to do it AFTER placing it all in storage, leaving it for someone else to dispose of. But I do hope Babs and Kelly can make some good money from selling it. (If there is something you would like to have, see photos of my stuff on my Facebook album CAMBRIA APARTMENT.  Facebook Message "Handy Dandy" or "Barbara McKee" or me.)

Starting in December, I plan to live in Vegas in a furnished apartment for at least a year after this trip,  unless a Prince Charming sweeps me up and takes me elsewhere. lol lol  Well, after reading two of Inglath Cooper's novels, she's got me thinking. So, it's a good position to be in, no encumbrances, can do whatever whenever. YES! And if I make it to Vegas, I may love it and stay longer than a year. Who knows? Not I. I'm open to whatever the Universe offers me.

LUV & HUGS

More later ...

GETTING TO KNOW WEYMOUTH AGAIN

It’s my ninth day in Weymouth, England.  It’s all about reacquainting with the town mostly this past week. Slowly, due to flu recovery. But I’m on the upside now, no more talk of sickness. Yesterday on my outing I had a second meal at The William Henry, and a nice young man came to my table and politely asked me if I knew Crysta Cozelos? (She’s my grand daughter, an RN at Southside Regional Medical Center in Petersburg, Virginia.) I said yes of course. he introduced himself (Cain) and said he recognized me from my photos. He’d spent time with her on the trip with me to Weymouth a couple years ago, and he’d gone to see her in Virginia after that. Seemed a pleasant fellow. Said he just wanted to say hello and went on.

Afterwards I walked up the lane to Wilkos to buy some some personal supplies, and encountered a middle-aged woman on the sidewalk, crying loudly, boo-hooing literally, screaming, “My bag, my bag, he knicked it, he knicked it! I don’t know! I don’t know!” A salon woman was trying to calm and help her. But she wouldn’t stop wailing and screaming, and jumping up and down. Never seen anything like it. I walked on, after two more women tried to assist. When I returned from Wilkos, the police were helping her, had called someone to come get her, she was sitting in police car, still crying. Felt so sorry for her.

Today I plan to walk down one of the town lanes that lead to the bridge over the harbor, will search for the sidewalk vegetable/fruit market I recall seeing last time I was here. Need a few things. However I can also go to Marks & Spence’s Food market that’s in the department store. Am looking for a pull-over black sweater too. Will have a salad there today, maybe.

https://www.marksandspencer.com/l/food-to-order/party-food-and-sandwiches/salads

Tomorrow, Saturday, I have an eye exam scheduled to order new glasses. Need a spare. Had to trash the existing spare with broken frame. My favorites. Oh well!

Then tomorrow night SATURDAY will be having dinner with Ali & Martin somewhere on the Harbour ... I do love Weymouth Harbour. Have written about it in my books, especially in The Christmas Diary, a novella.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Diary-Rebecca-Buckley/dp/0989120082

Okay, that’s it for now ... this coming weekend more thoughts and photos of my leisurely month in Weymouth, Dorset, England.  Love to all.

UPDATE ON 2020 TRIP SCHEDULE

I've been adding and subtracting from the previous travel schedule to meet my new requirements here and there. This is confirmed.

WEYMOUTH, ENGLAND
Jan 16 - Feb 15 👍

WEST BAY, ENGLAND
Feb 8 - 9. 👍

ABBOTSBURY, ENGLAND
Feb 15 - Mar 28

SOUTHAMPTON, UK
Mar 28 - Apr 13

ATHLONE, IRELAND
Apr 13 - May 13

EDINBURG, SCOTLAND
May 13 - Jun 12

LUXEMBOURG
Jun 12 - Jul 4

VERSAILLES, FRANCE
Jul 4 - Aug 3

LILLE, FRANCE
Aug 3 - Sep 2

WEYMOUTH, ENGLAND
Sep 2 - Sep 4

QM2, ATLANTIC CROSSING
Southampton to NYC
Sep 4 - 11

BROOKLYN NY
Sep 11 - 12

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
Sep 12 - Permanent Base - YIPPEE!!!

MY ARRIVAL IN WEYMOUTH, ENGLAND

FIRST I must tell you about my two flights to London.

 Most of you know that I don't care to talk to fellow passengers on planes. It's a rule of mine ... prefer to rest and sleep, read, and watch movies on planes. Well, right off the bat, the young fellow next to me, I always sit on the aisle, began asking me questions. Where was I going, where I was from, and etc.  Questions that weren't simple for me to answer, right? No one-word answers. lol lol  Well, our conversation continued the duration of the flight from SLC to D/FW.  A delightful fella. What was interesting to me was his story.  He travels all over to accumulate new improved vegetable seeds for seed farmers in Idaho (I think I have that right, correct me, if not). He lives near Burley, Idaho, and was surprised that I had lived in Burley for four months on my disappearance/run-away trip in the '80s.  We had mutual things to talk about of Burley and area.  He and his wife honeymooned on the central Calif coast and knew about Cambria, where I lived.  He's also in real estate in Idaho, residential and commercial.  Very nice fellow.  Enjoyed talking to him. Time zoomed by.

On flight from D/FW to Heathrow, I sat by another young fellow (pictured below) that did the same thing, started asking me questions. I, in turn, asked him questions. He is Roy Harley, International Director of Christian Surfers International, lives near Durban, South Africa. What an interesting fella he is. My oh my! Told me about his wife (school teacher) and children, about the year they took off to visit all the surfing communities around the world when he became director, and about the area where he's from and lives in South America, about Australia and New Zealand .... and convinced me I must go to them ... all three countries. I will in 2021.

While he slept, I tried to sleep, but my restless legs kept me moving about, a real bad case of them. But my legs didn't swell this time. WOW. Finally I grabbed an hour's sleep while we were a couple hours from London.

The ride from the airport in London to train station in Woking was uneventful as well as the train ride to Weymouth. I was a bit wilted, but still on my feet. Arrived on time 4:15 pm, Martin & Ali picked me up and delivered me to B&B. I crashed quite early and stayed in all day today. So tomorrow, Saturday, I'll venture out.

I'M IN ENGLAND FOR THREE MONTHS!

MORE LATER ....

TOMORROW IS LIFT-OFF!

Yes, the day has come. Tomorrow I will be in the air flying to the first country of four on my year-long adventure. WOW!!!  So excited! And a little nervous - which will dissipate quickly before landing in London. It’s been a full three months preparing for this gigantic quest. What started out as a desire to live in England, quickly shifted to a plan of spending three months in each of four countries. And now starting tomorrow I’ll see just how well my plans unfold.

I already imagine myself in the towns I’ll be visiting, Already did research on them, which I do on every trip. But now it’s real, I’ll experience them in person.

Tonight my sister’s Utah family and I had dinner in Lehi with my son Micheal Manos from Phoenix. It was a great surprise to see him, he’s here with his company who is building the huge Facebook Center near SLC.

Seated on the right, from back to front: Len Ross, Martha Ross, Micheal Manos.
On left, back to front: Emily Ross, Phillip Ross, Mya-Lisa Ross Ludwig, Adam Ross.
I’m snapping photo.

There are more photos to post from dinner last night, will do that another time. Am very tired tonight, and battling a cold that hit last night during snowstorm. So I’m cutting it short and going to sleep! Tomorrow is the big day!!!!  NITE ALL!!!

LAST DAY IN CALIFORNIA

What a whirlwind 10 days since leaving Cambria to spend a year abroad! In the past 10 days I’ve visited with all these friends and family, plus some others not in pictures. Pure neglect. My apologies to Lisa, Pat, Larry, who I saw but forgot to photograph. And I notice I collaged a couple photos of sister Mary and Matty twice. Oh well, they were our (martha and I) hosts here in Visalia and deserve more notice for their tolerance. Sure visited with a lot of loved ones in the last ten days, yessiree! Enjoyed every minute of it. Especially with McMullen matriarch Aunt Pauline, daddy's sister, his last living sibling ... 95 years young.

OKAY, TODAY!

In two hours I'm ON THE ROAD AGAIN. Las Vegas, Nevada, here we come!!!  Tomorrow it's Salt Lake City, Utah, then on Wednesday - FIVE DAYS more and I'm off on my year-long journey! Hip hip hooray!

FIRST DAY OF 2020

I AM IN VISALIA, CA ... first day of my 2020 journey!

We pick up sister Martha at airport today, shes coming in earlier from Utah. Was scheduled for Saturday. But we wanted her here now, so I changed the ticket. Then Sunday we three sisters will meet up with some of our McMullen relatives in Camarillo; its been years since we've done that together. Looking forward to it. Next week we'll be visited by cousin Carole (Dearmore side of family) from Paradise (northern CA). Then sista Martha and I leave for Utah on the 10th for the next leg of my year-long adventure ...

TO RECAP LAST COUPLE DAYS, I ended up having to go to Los Osos, after all, before leaving the central coast, two more plastic bags of misc. stuff to add to the storage overflow. That unit is FULL, a 20' x 10'. Didnt get on the road to go to Visalia till 4:00 pm on Monday. Was at the accountant in Morro Bay over an hour - tax returns.  After arriving in Visalia around 6:30, had a ball with sister Mary and her hubby Matty. We ended up laughing our heads off. Havent laughed that hard in years. Then last night we had a lovely New Year's Eve dinner at Vintage Press.

So all is well. I'm still adjusting to the change, the realization of leaving Cambria one last time. Doesn't feel more than just a visit with Mary and Martha. I think when I get on the plane from Utah to England, it'll hit me.

Till next time ... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!