Update

It only took four days to sell our house.   T'was a little mind-blowing, to say the least.  We turn over the keys in about two weeks and then Life detours off its familiar path for awhile.   And no, I don't think the reality of what we've done has sunk in yet.

Let the record show that we CHOSE this.  We are willingly giving up a large and very comfortable home in a lovely neighborhood to live in a big rectangular rolling metal box.  Let the record also show that, as soon as we are tired of it, we will remove ourselves from said box and put ourselves back into house-normalcy.  So don't think we've hit upon hard times or are homeless.  No we haven't and no we're not.

We will stay close by as long as duties and responsibilities dictate and then beyond that, we still don't know.  Frankly, I'm nervous to travel in the above mentioned box because I am SURE that six miles out of town it will break down.  Husband tells me to not worry and if that happens, we'll have handy, ready-at-the-phone, roadside assistance guys hopping on over to fix the problem.  One reason for Husband's optimism and my pessimism is that I read RV blogs and he doesn't.

Here's to hoping this will never be us, even though it likely will be.

RVs are known for having "bugs" to work out and ours is no different.  So far Husband has purchased new tires and batteries, fixed a minor hose leak, replaced some kind of circuit for the water heater and the installation of the solar panels has been a series of setbacks.  (Don't ask.)  Not to mention installing something on our Jeep enabling it to become a "toad".  This means we will attach the Jeep to the rear of the motorhome somehow and hope we don't lose it along the interstate in Nebraska.   All this and we haven't even left the home-base yet.

In spite of the bugs, all the bloggers rave over the lifestyle.  So there must be perks, and it's the anticipation of those perks that fueled this whole plan.  Here's a fun one of our own -- Craigslist came through with a hydraulic "motorcycle lift" that will also attach to the rear of the motorhome (along with the Jeep), allowing us to bring our bike along too.  Therefore, at some point in the hopefully not-too-distant future, we will be returning to Utah's canyon lands so that Husband can live his dream of cruising through those gorgeous red rocks on his BMW bike with me hanging on behind him.   (Gotta admit, I'm excited about that too.)

Not our bike.  Stole this off the net until we can get back there to make our own picture.  

Meanwhile, I am gazing out onto my soon-to-be former back yard, with its moss-entrenched lawn, metastasizing weeds, and budding leaves that will bury the new owner next fall ..... and smiling.

The announcement .....

Getting right to the point.

Our home of twelve years, in the town in which we have lived since the Eagles released Heartache Tonight, is going on the market.  And we are, for the time being, replacing it with a 40 foot motorhome.  This is something we've researched and thought about for a quite a while as you already know, if you've followed this blog.

The Beast

The current plan is to do a bit of traveling (nothing drastic) and figure out where we want to settle next... because ... to put it simply ... we can.  Our children, all successfully launched years ago, are of varying opinions of this plan.   But hey, we're still around.  I mean, nobody has died or moved to Fiji.  And we very well might find our next home right back in our current zip code.  Our manufacturing business of 25 years is firmly rooted here.  Husband (in his current status of semi-to-mostly retired) stays connected as needed on consulting and advisory basis and therefore, we figure we need to stay planted within a two to three hour radius.  So ..... who knows?   Old age is approaching, the years are ticking down and, at the risk of you all getting sick of hearing my favorite motto, ..... if you never try, you never know.  My entire life, except for two years at college, has all happened within 20 miles of where I grew up.  Sometimes a soul needs a change of scenery.

There are, of course, plenty of unknowns:

Will our house sell?
Where will we go?  
Will I ever gain the confidence to drive a bus the size of Detroit?
Will our marriage survive shrinking to 350 square feet?
Will I learn to use a convection oven?
Will the GOP ever regain the White House?
Etc.

This is downsizing with a vengeance.  The pool table and two bikes are sold.  Miscellaneous other stuff .... gone.  Goodwill is scoring big time with our discards.   My wardrobe will go from occupying most of a large walk-in closet and dresser to about four feet of closet space and three drawers.  And, sadly, Craigslist produced some buyers for our dear little trailer, who promised to love it as we did.

We have spent our forty years of marital life living according to The Rules.  We have literally defined Establishment.  We have reared four fabulous society-contributing kids (our greatest legacy); built, bought, and sold several homes; tamed acreage; started and ran a successful business providing many jobs and livelihoods; paid enough taxes to support every government worker and program on the continent (it seems); and contributed to the spiritual and physical welfare of generations.   So although certain responsibilities and obligations never cease, as soon as life's details are tied up, handed off, and/or stored away, we will take a brief hiatus to see what this land has to offer.  Together.  Husband and me ....  and the motorcycle.... somehow .... 'cause it's NOT going on Craigslist.

And you -- 'cause you're all invited along, via this blog.

The blog gets a new name

Soled Out started out five years ago as a running blog.  A running blog that literally "ran" its course ending in my retirement from the sport over a year ago.  So it's time the blog is renamed.

After much thought and a lively list of suggestions from Favorite Daughter who obsesses easily when given mental projects such as this ..... (It's an idiosyncrasy she inherited, I'm afraid, from me.  I have been known to spend days naming a pet.).... I've chosen "Type B".  Short and simple.  It's my initial, my personality, and my life.  Not sure about blood type and don't even think about bra sizes.  Not going there.

Oh, and btw ..... when trying to register a new blog name with Blogspot, I found that there are a LOT of perfectly good blog names already taken, but not used ..... forcing the rest of us to insert hyphens and other whatnot into our URLs.  A lot of people register their blog name and then never write a post and some blogs have sat completely empty for years!  Kind of rude when you think about it.  Therefore, as they say ..... Fish or cut bait.

The new web address will soon be.....
type-b-blog.blogspot.com

That's all.