I am now an Iowan.
The home sale in Colorado went through as scheduled; as of February 26 we no longer own a home in Colorado. Immediately after the closing, brother-in-law Craig and I left Colorado and headed for Iowa. I was driving my F-150 and pulling a 6×12 U-Haul trailer while Craig was driving our Honda sedan.
The last trip was uneventful; no bad weather, breakdowns, or other problems cropped up. Long days of driving, though, as the first night we spent in Ogalala, Nebraska, due to the late start after the closing. That left a 13+ hour drive on Thursday to make it to Iowa.
Friday we unpacked the trailer returned it to the U-Haul rental spot in Charles City. Craig and sister-in-law Becky (who had brought Craig to Elma and was staying with Pam until Craig and I arrived from Colorado) headed north to their respective Wisconsin homes. Pam and I really appreciate the help from Craig and Becky!
Friday afternoon and most of the day on Saturday was spent unpacking the latest batch of boxes and setting up the “media room” where my computer is now located. The media room also has the upstairs TV, a recliner, microwave oven, and my stereo system. During the winter months I will be spending some time in that room.
We still have multiple boxes to sort through and find spots for more “stuff” brought from Colorado, but we are now functioning pretty well in our new digs.
Now that I am retired and the move is complete, what’s next? Many projects, that’s for sure! Today I finished cleaning snow and ice from the Elma sidewalks, something Pam chose not to keep up with while I was not here. The garage needs to be organized and I need to start finding some of my tools. House projects will wait just a bit until the weather warms up some, but small jobs, such as patching some of the plaster spots and using the shop vac to clean out some of the vents, can go ahead now.
Then there are the relocation tasks; changing driver’s licenses, getting Iowa titles and plates for the Honda, F-150, and motorcycle. Finding a doctor, dentist, and barber shop. Making sure all banking is transferred to the new bank. All “stuff” that needs to be done when one makes a major move.
I hope to get back to a weekly update of this blog after the disruption caused such an erratic schedule. Most of the updates will be boring, I am sure, dealing with home updates, continued unpacking, weather reports, and other matter-of-fact aspects of moving into an old home. Still, tune in from time to time as we will be exploring Iowa and southern Minnesota and discovering the best places to visit.
That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!
Pam’s Two Cents:
It has been five long [and quite stressful] months since the purchase of the Elma, IA property. Since we were unable to winterize during the fall relocation, suffice to say winterization systems will have been addressed by the fall of 2020 before the next Iowa winter.
I’ve had to learn a few tasks outside my comfort zone – packing Qwikcrete into the foundation, trapping mice, working with the local HVAC shop to update the furnace burners all come to mind. Jerry has likewise been exploring grocery purchase, cooking, doing laundry and cleaning on the CO end. It remains to be seen what cross over from these experiences will survive the relocation.
Our relocation pre-planning and predictions re: number of trips, expense, and timing mostly were accurate. Jerry retired several months later than planned, the Colorado house sold several months earlier than anticipated. We landed on our feet financially. And we are finally both here.
Now — can I learn to coexist with strident hog manure odors riding on the change of the wind?