It’s scary. I had this crazy idea about riding a motorcycle to the bottom of our continent. I thought about how I might be able to make it work and I put together a plan. Now it looks like the plan is coming together and I’m scared shitless. I have NEVER felt like this before.

I had to travel for work last week and so not much planning got done, but here’s where I am right now:

  • I have the appraisal for the Charleston house. I sent it to Max and if I can’t contact him and get an update on what he will do by the end of today I’m going to have to contact Carmen and Henry and see what they can offer. I think I’ll also let Billy know in order to have the back-up plan of listing it on the open market. He’s a real estate agent and a friend that lives in Charleston and may be able to help. 7 weeks – not much time…
  • Susan and Willie have decided to accept a job in Gatlinburg so they’ll be moving out. I’m happy for them, but that means a lot more work than I was planning on to get everything ready. Last night I listed the Asheville house on Craigs List for $1100 and in just a few hours I’ve had two inquiries. But – to rent it out I will need to decide if I want to get a storage shed on the side of the house (best idea) or rent space up the street. I think if I just get a shed, I’ll keep some stuff under the house in the back corner of the basement, just put it on pallets and wrap it in tarps. Then there will be additional landscaping, cementing the front walkway, enameling the bath tub and all the fun of moving out completely. Its all things I think I need to do in order to have it in top shape for renters willing to pay $1100. I’m not even considering what I’ll do when I get back after 8 months, jobless and homeless and they still have 4 months on their lease.
  • I have the absolute final documentation for the accountant and will give Cesar his due when the house sells.
  • I need to find $700 quickly for the suspension I ordered, and the time to install it, change the dohickey, bleed the breaks and grease the steering head and swing arm on the bike, plus add a few minor mods and buy a little more gear.
  • I need to decide on and purchase medivac insurance.
  • Update vaccinations and get a years worth of gout meds (I have an appointment on July 24th)
  • Michelle has said she’ll take Earl while I’m gone, but they live on such a busy street and use an invisible fence. A very kind offer, but I’m a little reluctant.
  • I need to set Mom up with DSL. She has dial-up and can’t really see photos or follow me on the blog. The internet will be the main way we’ll stays in touch so I need to have her set up right.
  • Buy some electronics stuff like a new battery for the laptop, car chargers for the phone, computer and camera as well as an extra battery for the camera. I’ve made a charging station in the top pelli case on the motorcycle, so I can charge things as I ride.
  • Get a new phone and an international calling and texting plan.
  • Let the bank know that I’ll be using my card out of the country

The upside of all this is that with the stress, I really can’t sleep, so I have a lot more time to plan. Hooray!

Today I’ll take a play from Jenns book and make a detailed list of everything that needs to happen. Hopefully, when its all laid out and organized the beast will appear a bit more tame. I might also get a better picture of when I’ll need to quit work in order to get everything done.

I can’t wait to hit the road and have all this behind me-