THE TIME IS GETTING CLOSE TO MAKE THAT MOVE!

I can't believe how close the time is to make that move to South Carolina.  I am in the process of making the last minute doctor's and dentist appointments and arranging to get copies of records.

The doctor's and dentist said they would forward the records once a new doctor has been chosen but I rather have my information on the off chance that the records do not arrive in a timely fashion.  They might even be lost in the mail and I would have to do the asking all over again.

Sam/Dad is actually having to work all week this week.  He has two projects that will be taking up his time.  One is in Edmonton, Canada and the other is here in California, updating the Rose Bowl.  The Canada job has not been awarded yet but the company has been working with their Canadian counterpart to get their proposal together.  Sam will have times he will need to fly to Canada but he is prepared with his wardrobe as he had to get clothing when he flew to Fairbanks Alaska a few years back.  The last time he talked to someone in Edmonton, it was -20 degrees.  C...O...L...D!!!!!!


It is bittersweet when we leave permanently.  We have made some good friends and established ourselves in the community.  The MS Society, Pacific South Coast Chapter, know us as well as other MS Society's across the country.  That is because I am a MS Ambassador for the Society.  Sam and I will continue to fundraise and continue to have the golf tournament.

I did find out that there is not a MS Community yet in the Bluffton area.  There are no support groups!  I guess I know what I will be doing once I get settled.  I need the support and I am sure others will too.  I have already been in contact with the local society and once I am in Bluffton, South Carolina permanently, I will help get things moving.

The house still has not had any offers.  This has been the most frustrating part of having the house up for sale.  We lowered the price, the realtors who have looked at the house have said the house is well priced and should sell, we have had many open houses and continue to have, potential buyers have liked the upgrades and the view and yet we do not receive any contracts.  One would be so nice!

Our realtor feels the market is getting a little better and sees people out at Open Houses.  Anyone can go to an Open House.  I just hope they are the people that want to buy.

Does it sound like I am being a little cynical right now?  I am trying not to be but I am very anxious to sell  because we will still be paying for two mortgages on a reduced salary.  We will make it but it sure would be better if we were without that debt.

I am trying very hard to keep the faith that everything will work out.  I pray everyday, several times a day, for that illusive contract.  I know that things will happen in their own time but I sure wish it would happen sooner then later.

The Move is Happening

We now have a moving date (maybe).  The date seems to be set and we have arranged everything with United Van Lines to pack us on one day and pick up the next.  My car will be picked up the beginning of February to be transported to South Carolina.  We will have to share the Explorer, that is the company truck, between us for a couple of weeks.

We have the house back on the market and we have had many views once again but no offers.  Frustrating!  We did have one couple back a second time which was unexpected as we did not know they were coming, the house was not straightened up, and the realtor thought we were not home so entered by the lock box.  SURPRISE!  There was even a couple that was tagging along with the realtor to see the property in addition to the couple seeing the second time.

We really didn't know what to do but we stayed out of the way the best everyone could.  Tony, Abby, Gabe, Sophia, and us, just looked at one another.  We did ask if they could come back in a half hour so we could present the house in a better condition but they didn't seem to mind.

I don't know where the break down in communication happened.  The realtor that was showing the house said she made the appointment with our realtor.  Our realtor did not say anything to us about anyone showing up.  Was this a bad thing for us to have happen?  Who knows, as it is what it is.  If they were looking for that clean look then they should have given us the time to clean up.

We have gone through everything one more time to make sure we won't be taking anything we don't really need.  We will be leaving a lot of furniture behind because, one, we won't need it for the South Carolina house, and two, so the house looks furnished.  Once the house is sold, the furniture we have in the house will be donated to the Marines for the families that need help.

The move has been happening very quickly.  I am on board with everything but I am still trying to get all the records and appointments needed done before the move.  Always something happening with never a dull, boring moment.

Will this be our last move?  I really hope so but I will not say never will we move again.  I just wish we were closer to family but at least we will have the freedom to travel at our own time when we want and as long as we want.

The foot is healing well

I just had a doctor's follow up yesterday and the foot is progressing very well.  So well that he said I could go into a running shoe.  Yea!

I am not having the problems that I had the last time (knock on wood) and I am very happy about that.  I see the doctor again in three weeks but I am hoping that I won't have to see him before then.  It did feel a little weird when I put a regular shoe on rather than the boot.  I am getting used to the change.

I have now put on my AFO (a brace to keep my right foot up so I don't stumble ((at least that is the goal))).  I didn't want to use it when I had the boot on my left foot.  It would have been too much.

It will still take time for the foot to feel normal but I am just happy right now that I am not having the problems like last time.  I guess the New Year of 2012 is going to be a better one for me.

Happy New Year 2012

Wow, the holidays are over and we are back to doing our regular stuff.  I hope it was fun for everyone.  I was busy, which was a good thing but before you knew it, everything was over.  You put all the holiday things back away and wait for another year to pass.  It is sad in a way to lose all the cheer and happiness that people will have at that time of year.  The holiday can be expensive if you let it and not restrain from getting everything someone wants.  I know that can be hard to do.  You want to make sure that the holiday is special.

I had a great holiday for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.  My daughter (with her family) made her first Turkey from start to finish with all the extras.  She did a great job.  I saw my oldest son and family after they made the long move to Denver from West Virginia.  They even had purchased a new home to get everyone settled.  It was making things a little easier  for them knowing they now had a place to call home once again.

Christmas I spent with my other son and his family in Maryland.  It was different for me because we were not splitting time between houses as we once did.  We had a great time and it was very relaxed.

Now, I am working on my next project which will be a big change in our lives.  Retirement and moving back across the United States, going from California to South Carolina.  The process has begun.  Movers have been contacted to get their bids, transport companies have been contacted to move my car, sorting through everything to rid us of stuff we really don't need but have been hanging onto.

Disagreements are happening as to what big stuff we should move or not.  The house in South Carolina has been set up with pretty much everything you would need to live there.  It is those other things that you want that need to be included now.

I am not sure I am ready for all the changes that will be taking place.  It is scary and exciting at the same time.  We have made many, many moves and it hasn't been because of the military.  It was due to going for/to a new job and moving up the corporate ladder.  This also caused our kids to have to move away from friends they had made and schools they may have liked.  It was a choice we had to make as we had a growing family and needed the security of a future.

I am scared of the new place, not of the house, but learning a new area.  Because of my MS, it takes so much longer for me to process things and to feel comfortable.  I do have a GPS which will get me around and I do rely on it quite a bit.  I won't feel so frighten and be in tears when I am lost and can't find my way home.  That feeling I do not want to feel anymore.

I know in my heart that this next chapter in our life will be a wonderful one.  We will have the chance to do things when we want to do them.  We will not have the restraints of a job and only having a couple of weeks to vacation.  We do plan to travel and see the country.  We will also take cruises.  We have worked hard to this point and we deserve the benefits.

Update on Foot Surgery

I went to the doctors on Friday to have the bandages changed, have an x-ray, stitches removed and generally see how everything was doing.

When I arrived, the office was running a little behind so I had to wait for a short time.  There was a family ahead of me, waiting in the exam room, with 3 boys and a girl.  They all ranged in years but the youngest was a little girl about 2-3 years old.  Her older brother was trying to help mom out with taking her for walks, as they were waiting for the doctor to see them.

It was constant walking of the little girl and her brother. They would go outside and walk a little bit and then come inside to see mom.  She would send them back out again, so they would leave once again, only to return a few minutes later.  Her brother was doing whatever he could to entertain his sister but his sister was getting tired of waiting.  The office staff offered candy to them to help with the wait.  This caused things to be OK for awhile but then the meltdown started by the little girl.  You could hear the doctor in the room trying to talk to the mom and her son about what they were there for and I did feel sorry for the whole office and doctor.  It was hard for me to sit there listening to all the commotion and crying.  I also felt sorry for the mom as she was trying her best to keep things under control and still have the appointment.

It is hard for anyone to have to wait for an appointment but even more so with children in tow.  The office does not usually get many children for these services so it was difficult for them to come up with ideas to keep everyone happy.  They did the best they could but it was quite unexpected to be in a doctor's office that had the noise of children when usually it is very quiet.

After the family left, I was called back into a room.  I didn't think anything would be wrong and just expected to go through everything that was explained to me after the surgery.  The doctor removed the bandages and I saw my foot for the first time.  I will definitely have scars all over the foot but the important thing was that my toe was in the right place.  I was so happy.  I then heard the doctor say, "I am concerned about this red area.  It may be an infection so I am going to start you on an antibiotic and I want to see you next week."

So the foot was wiped down and medicine put on the stitches and the foot was rewrapped.  I was given an antibiotic prescription and off I went.  I was so hoping that I would not have any issues but I guess that can't happen with me.

One good thing did happen though; I am able to drive my car.  I didn't have that ability for several weeks after the last surgery.  I am able to get out of the house.  YEA!  Of course, Sam is not happy about this as he is concerned that I will overdo and set myself back from the recovery.  At this point, who knows what will happen.  I will just manage whatever comes my way.

Recovery Day 1 1/2

This is officially my first full day of recovery from the surgery yesterday.  My foot hurts and is swollen.  I am too keep it elevated and put ice on it 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off through my waking time.  I haven't been real good about the ice but I am keeping it elevated.  The pain meds do help but I usually have to take 2 at a time.  It doesn't phase me taking that much.  One will not handle it.

Everything went very well.  The doctors and nurses at the outpatient surgery center are very nice and I didn't have to present my ID or Health Cards as they just recently had them from May.  I mean I was getting oh, you are back again.  We just saw you in May.  That is sad when they know you by name.

I will get the bandage changed on Friday with another set of x-rays and a check on things.  I was told it will take 6-8 weeks to heal.  I also was told I could fly December 23 to Maryland but I will just double check on that to be on the safe side.

I had to sleep in the recliner last night as sleeping in the bed didn't work out.  Besides it being a little uncomfortable, Sam keep me awake with his snoring and movement.  Something is going on with him and I wish I knew what to do about it.  In my opinion, I really believe he wants to stop working now and to take up residence in our home in Bluffton, South Carolina.  This will happen soon but probably not as soon as he wants right now.  Now he seems to be having a problem with his heart and high blood pressure.  Naturally he doesn't believe its anything to worry about and tries to blow it off.  I know better and won't let it go.  He will see the doctor whether it be him making the appointment or myself, he will be going.

I will just keep this updated as time progresses.

House is off the market

Our house has been taken off the MLS for the month of December.  We have had several phone calls already from other Realtors asking why we have taken it off and could they be the next person to list the house.

We have a plan in place with our present realtor.  We are taking it off this month because there usually aren't showings as people are concentrating on the holidays and not looking for a house.  In January, we will list it again with a different price, different pictures and a new realtor; same company but just a different person. This way it will look like a new listing.

Our realtor is doing it this way so it doesn't show like a reduced listing even though you can get the history of the house sale.  I don't know...the crazy things they have to do to make a sale.  We are hoping it will work and we do get a contract.  Sam is wanting to make that move to South Carolina.  He is so ready to get the break from the stress.  I am ready for him to have that break too so he can at least sleep through the night without nightmares.  He becomes so active at night, thrashing about, and you know he isn't getting the rest he needs.  He will sometimes be fighting someone so the covers can go all different ways, or he will call out in his sleep.  I have actually had conversations with him yet he doesn't remember the next day what we have talked about.  He could be physically standing up, I ask if he is OK, he says yes, lays back down and he is sound asleep.

Clark is pursuing a job in Edmonton, Canada, for their hockey team.  They want a new arena for the team.  This process will work with his work schedule of 3 months working.  It's a good thing he has a passport.  Maybe he will learn Celsius and Miters.