Ramping Up and Complications

We leave tonight for the big trip up the Hudson. After months of counting down the days, it’s finally here. Last weekend we motored Sabine to New York City (which I haven’t had the chance to even tell you about, because this week has been so crazy) and tonight we’ll drive down to NYC to board once again.

Monday night we returned from NYC, and grudgingly went back to work on Tuesday. The countdown on my calendar at work remained in the single digits but it still felt so far away. Because Sabine was gone, we didn’t have to spend much time preparing for the trip. The laundry needed to be done and packed, you know, little things like that. The bills needed to be paid, and the house was *this close* to being declared a federal disaster area.

And then on Wednesday the driveway was paved. We had planned for this all along, and wanted to be in the state when the pavers arrived. What we didn’t connect on was the fact that we wouldn’t be able to use the driveway until Sunday—two days after leaving for the trip. That means we cannot put the cars into the garage while we’re gone. The large, freshly gouged culvert across the front lawn also means we can’t just drive across the grass to put the cars behind the house. As a result we’d been parking at the end of our long driveway along the street; not where we’d like to park for 2 weeks while we’re gone.

So, let me give you the run down from the last few days:

Last Friday
I drove Todd’s car to Jamestown, where we left from to get to New York City.

Monday
Back from NYC with the rental car. Picked up the jeep at the marina, and then returned the rental car. When we returned home we saw that our friends Mike and Sarah, who were borrowing the truck over the weekend, hadn’t brought it back yet.  One of us would have no means to get to work the next day.

Tuesday
I drove Todd to Mike and Sarah’s house. He went to the dump with Sarah to unload the truck, returned home and got ready for work. The driveway was graded, we couldn’t drive on it by the time we got home from work. We parked the jeep, the truck and the trailer by the street.

Wednesday
Todd drove the truck and trailer back to Mike and Sarah’s. They are rehabbing a house and have made several trips to the dump with it.  Todd drove me to work and said “I’ll pick you up at 5, then we’ll ride down to Jamestown to get my car.” Then he called me at 4:30 and said “I have a conference call. I can’t come get you. Find a ride to Jamestown, get the car and go home.” So, I did just that.

Thursday
It is also worth noting, Todd left all his car keys on the boat in New York. I constantly had to remember “Hey, do you have keys to your car? No? OK, here’s my set…”  And now I wonder where my spare to the jeep is.

I took the dogs to Petco for a groom and picked them up after work. Got home and cleaned the house, paid the bills, and agonized over what to pack and what to pack it in. Todd came home at nearly 9, and it occurred to me that I hadn’t even had dinner with all the racing around I did.

Friday
Todd went to Mike and Sarah’s to help them with a dump run first thing in the morning while I got ready for work. As I left I went into the basement to empty the dehumidifier and noticed something scurrying out of the corner of my eye. Further investigation (read: frenzied chasing) reveled that it was a chipmunk. I attempted to capture it with a laundry basket without success. I left the door to the basement open, and left a note for Todd on the fridge:

“There is a chipmunk in the basement. I left the door open. Will you please make sure it’s gone and close the door?”

Of course, because we’re not using the driveway, Todd entered the house through the front door when he got back from the dump, went up the stairs and into the shower. He never went through the kitchen, and never saw my note.  The basement door remains open. And either that one chipmunk went out, or his friends all came in. And I’ll bet the dehumidifier is already full again, as the humidity is approximately a hojillion percent today.

I’ll leave the jeep at New England Yacht Rigging after work tonight and con Charlie into taking me to the airport to get the rental car. Charlie’s coming with us on part of the trip anyway, so I’ll pick him up on the way home. We’ll go pack the rental, then Todd’ll get home and we’ll leave the acura at Mike and Sarah’s house. I suspect we’ll hit the highway somewhere after a million o’clock tonight.

I desperately need this vacation now.