BillTrishLoboSebastian

Got our van back yesterday, but on the way back to the hotel the "service engine soon" light came on and it began to hesitate and buck. Bill turned right around and went back, but being Friday afternoon...everyone was gone. They told us to bring it back this morning, which he did. Thank god it was just antifreeze that had got into places it shouldn't have....not a big problem. SO.....we will back on the road this morning heading further south. Since we can't cross the border till Monday, I'm hoping we can find a another cheap place on the beach at South Padre Island...about 20 miles this side of Brownsville. May as well enjoy our last full day in the States! I will blog either later today or tomorrow morning with our location. ... read more

Well, Hermine has passed...but now we're dealing with the van. Last night (Monday eve) was pretty wild with much rain and wind.....lots and lots of wind. It sounded like a typical New England Nor'Easter lying in bed listening. The difference being that it was 80 degrees and muggy outside.....not 10 degrees and snowing. Now, we have to deal with the van. Tomorrow morning, we bring it in to the local Ford dealership where they will determine whether we need a whole manifold, or can get away with just a part. We're hoping for just the part, of course, mainly because it's about a $400 difference in price. Whatever it be, we'd love them to finish the job tomorrow so we can continue to Brownsville by early evening....and cross the border Thursday morning. Friday morning will be ... read more

We left Mobile, AL yesterday morning early. After walking the dogs and having something to eat, we were on the road by 8:30. That may not seem very early to alot of people (especially us!), but to actually be underway at that time is great. We've been on the road around 9 - 10 other mornings.....lots to do in the mornings! I am actually taking my time this morning to write in this blog...and it's only 6:15am. Yesterday's drive seemed very long to me. Louisianna is a very long state....so is Texas. We've got a 2 day drive to the border from here and now we see a tropical storm is brewing in the Gulf heading straight for Brownsville. Damn. This will be the first time since we left, that the potential for crappy weather is ... read more

Hi All....hanging out in Vass, N.C. for a few days. Getting the brakes on the trailer checked out. With the load that we're carrying, that trailer sure needs those brakes working! This is not a bad place to "hang". We're on an 11 acre horse farm where the dogs can romp and run with the other dogs here. My good friend of 30 years lives here and has warmly opened her doors to Bill and I...and the dogs. We're getting quite comfy, too! We should be back on the road by Thursday. We've been doing about 300-350 miles per day. We're travelling the slow lane all the way...not going over 55 mph....just can't. Nothing wrong with that, though. This is a nice break for us....stopping here. Just wish we've got breaks like this coming up. Once ... read more

So much to do! This is not your typical move...no way. Moving to another location in the U.S. is simple compared to this. Mexico will allow us to cross the border once, just once, with household "stuff". Transporting all our wordly possessions is both an art and a science. To import household good, we must list everything...and I mean everything. Each and every electronic item and/or appliance must have listed it's model number and serial number on the manifest. Each box must be numbered and everything in each box must be listed. This is becoming quite a chore for us. Bill and I have been working for a while now packing. I must have this done by Tuesday so I can bring it to the Embassy and get approval. If that's not enough, we still have ... read more