July 8, 2009 - HURRAH! The house sold today. After six groups of lookiloos, our own agent Karen brought a couple and it was DONE! Omigod, Doug and I were in shock. This wasn't what we expected. The range of emotions was startling. We were happy but we were scared too, very scared. We are off and running now.

We have to have a Home Inspection on the 16th of July and then the subjects are off on the 17th of July. The closing date is the 20th of August and we have until the 22nd of August to be out.

First big step for me will be to tell my father. He is totally against our plan. He thinks we should sit around and look after him and my mother. Mom is now in a nursing home and if she was of her right mind would be onboard with our plan, I know it. At one point Dad actually said to me "Well I guess you are going to have to work until you drop!". Well to hell with that. This is not what I want at all. This is our life and it is ours to live the way WE want.

We have spoken to most of the children. Niki and Mike are all for it. Graeme says he is too but he is actually the one with the most to lose (I will worry about him). Gayle is now in Montreal so she is all for it because now we can visit and Charlette in Winnipeg, feels the same way. Jason and Michelle seem to be opposed but we know that it is just because they are concerned about our mental health. I suppose we should try to contact our estranged daughter to let her know what's going on.

The children will get first dibs on the furniture etc. but I don't expect much will go that way except for Graeme who is just starting out in his own place and has needs. Then we are going to have a yard sale on the 8th and 9th of August. After that it goes to the Sally Anne or to the dump.

My last day of work is the 20th of August and we have to move out on the 22nd. Our friends Val and Rob have offered us their basement until we can find the truck and 5th wheel. The truck we think we can find here but it seems, so far, that we are going to have to go to Walcott, Iowa (about 4 days drive) to purchase the fiver. We have our heart set on a Flagstaff 8528RKWS. We have been in that model here but the price is much lower in Iowa. We will have to consider the $2,000 it will cost is to get there and the exchange rate and the insurance issues.

Pretty exciting morning. Doug has joined escapees.com and is writing to a couple with nearly the same time line as ours. Wouldn't it be exciting to get together with them. OHHHHH! I can hardly wait.