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Published: November 16th 2006
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It’s Monday morning and we have two days to get everything we have left in the house packed into a U-Haul trailer and all the paperwork signed so that the house can close on Wednesday. The weather looks like it is going to cooperate, we have the truck booked, and except for a few appointments our schedule is clear… So, as the Aussies say: “No Worries!” Not…
Statistics
Blog Time Frame: October 30th - November 1st
Starting Destination: Kechi, Kansas
Ending Destination: Saint George, Kansas
Ending Destination GPS: Pending
Miles Driven: 181!
Number of times eaten at McDonalds: 3
The first indication…
Perhaps our first mistake was sleeping in?! Well, we didn’t sleep in all that much, really… We got up in time to collect the U-Haul trailer at 11:30am; unfortunately it was from a center about 13 miles south of the house, so that cut into our allocated 181 free miles! Maria dropped Carl off and then went to have lunch with a friend, Carl drove the U-Haul back to the house, unpacked the storage shed and loaded up about a dozen boxes into the truck… before he stepped wrong while lifting a shoe box and wrenching his back. So, when Maria arrived home at 3:00pm, Carl was lying on the floor trying to relax his back muscles. We were just discussing next steps when the phone rings - it is the real estate agent! She has just received a phone call from the buyers, they were sitting at closing, but where were we?! Now a week previously, we had received a message saying that the buyers had wanted to close 2 days early… at this time we were still in California and wouldn’t be able to make it back in time. We thought that the resolution was for closing to remain on the original day, not our counter offer - close on Monday with possession 2 days later! Carl at this point is in significant pain and doesn’t want to drive, so the real-estate agent comes by the house and collects him before going to the title office. At the title office, everything is laid out… Carl proceeds to sign all the documents, simple right? Wrong!! Things don’t quite proceed smoothly… Firstly, there were some charges that were supposed to be deducted at closing - they weren’t; secondly and most importantly - as Carl is busily signing away he notices that the deed to the house lists him as single, no problems he thinks… the house is only titled in his name. However, you can see where this is going…. he mentions to the title officer in passing the fact that he is married who then nearly faints on the spot! Under Kansas law all property is owned by both husband and wife irregardless of who is listed on the title, so in this case the wife (aka Maria) also has to sign!! No problems, Carl picks up his cell phone… only to have the officer indicate that she has to collect kids at day care, and could we return tomorrow at 9am? Meanwhile, back at the house, Maria is staging items to be loaded into the U-Haul and ensuring that closets are empty; she wanted to wait until Carl returned to start the loading process… By the time Carl returns it is after 5pm, he is still in significant pain and both supposed to be going out to dinner with friends! Time for plan B - we collect Bar-B-Que and the associated fixings from the local “joint” and end up eating “In.” Carl is quite good at playing the role of invalid… sitting in the chair with a beer in one hand and a heat pad on his back - belted around his waist with the belt from his jeans…
The next day… aka miracles do happen!
The next day, there is no time for sleeping in! We are up early (for us) and arrive at the title office at 9am… only to find that the officer does not have all the required paperwork and we still can not close the deal. On the bright side, they have managed to include some of the charges that had been previously omitted, but they won’t give us checks until all the I’s are dotted and T’s crossed… Plus, in all the confusion we don’t have the opportunity to request that the funds be direct deposited into our bank account!! Finally we get out of the office and are back at the house - it is nearly 10:30 am, we have had the U-Haul for 23 hours, only a dozen boxes have been loaded and Carl is in no state to be lifting anything!! Fortunately, when Maria called her Cleaning lady to let her know that we would not be ready when she had planned to come - about 11:45am - she had three boys at home who didn’t need to be at work until later in the day… they agreed to come and help us load! But, before then, Maria had a doctor’s appointment - she arrived back at the house, perhaps 15 minutes before the “troops” arrived… at 12:30! With 3 strong boys, it took less than 2 hours to move all the furniture into the garage, pack up the truck and unload the attic of several items that Carl had forgotten about… we didn’t need the Christmas decorations, but Carl definitely wanted to keep the trophies he had won! In the midst of all the packing Carl left for a doctor’s appointment for his back, by the time he arrived back at the house, everything that needed to be in the U-Haul was in the truck. All that was left was to take a load of items to donate, load up the trash can and set it by the curb, pack up the pick-up, complete a last minute check of the house and drive off… And for once, it was nearly that simple! We only had to go to two places to donate items (the first one closed at 4pm), the trash can had to be filled to overflowing, we packed the pickup around the Christmas Trees that couldn’t be donated, found the plants new homes with a neighbor, collected Carl’s medication from the pharmacy and belatedly found something to eat. All with only 1 drive by from the new owners!! This would definitely be a Halloween to remember… always choose the “treat” as you never know exactly what you might encounter with the “trick!”
Completing the Saga
With Carl gingerly driving the U-Haul and Maria driving the pickup we slowly made our way north to Carl’s parents… making sure that we gave way to all the trucks along the route! But, at this stage we were only 50%!c(MISSING)omplete, we still had to unload all the “stuff” and pack it into the storage unit… and Carl’s back was not any better! But this was definitely a task for the next day. Thankfully, Carl’s Dad had arranged for some of his Uncles construction workers to help us unload the U-Haul, albeit from 8-8:30am… that got everything onto the pavement outside the unit where Maria, ably assisted by Carl’s Mom and Dad were able to fit everything into the storage unit - just!! During part of the “packing” process Carl had to return the U-Haul… following his Dad who was taking the back roads - first to the gas station where much care was taken to fill the gasoline tank to ¾ full and then to the U-Haul return. After the events of the past 2 days and much to Carl’s surprise, the trip meter read exactly 181 miles (and no tenths) - the exact number of “free” miles allowed with the rental! At this point, like all good stories, the protagonists should have celebrated their good fortune… by going home and taking a nap! Unfortunately, this was not to be… Carl and Maria still had a quite sizeable check representing the proceeds from the sale of the house burning a hole in their pocket! Even more unfortunately, the nearest Bank of America was in the next town, 20 miles away… so, off they go! Both our weary travelers are not expecting what happens next… the bank will gladly accept the checks, but “for your protection” will not release the funds for up-to 13 days. When all was said and done, this was really the least of our worries… we were just thankful that despite all the set-backs we had, with the help of many, completed all that needed to be done.
Carl’s Travel Trivia
Yesterday’s Answer: When the “World’s Largest Hand Dug Well” was completed in 1888, it was 109 feet deep with a diameter of 32 feet.
Today’s Question: On our travels we have followed the “Lewis & Clark” Trail, Oregon Trail, Santa Fe Trail, Nez Perce Trail and several others… What famous trail passed through Wichita?
Marv’s Trivia Question: What is another name for Toilet?
Carl & Maria’s Response: Another name could be one of the following from the civilized world: Rest Room, Bath Room, Facilities or WC (Water Closet); or from the uncivilized world: Loo, Dunny, John, Bog, Crapper. Without the benefit of Google Carl thinks that the toilet was invented by someone named John Crapper, hence the origins of some of the terms above!
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Marv Bush
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Trivia question about famous trail in Wichita
The answer is The Chisholm Trail. I didn't even have to look that one up. Answer to Marv's Trivia is , Loo. You got it correct. MB