The preparations are well under way...

Yesterday we waited in line for an hour outside of the passport office. We were the first in line. When we set our minds to something, we don't play.

Once inside, as prepared as we were, everything fell apart. Yup. The passport papers we filled out after downloading from online were out of date. We had to start over. I filled the information out as quickly and neatly as possible. I didn't want to lose our place.

Then we discovered there were fees that we didn't anticipate. Luckily, Sam had money on his debit card to cover us. Yes, money has been thistight lately.

Still, we walked away after a mere twenty-five minutes with the comfort that our passports would be arriving in 4-6 weeks. Yay! And then...we would be so much closer to being on our way.

In the mean time...we are getting ready for the big yard sale tomorrow morning. Here's hoping that goes well. We're selling...pretty much everything.

It won't go in one foul swoop. We know this. And we are anticipating at least one more yard sale and maybe two more estate sales, in addition to the sales on Craigslist.

It's so exciting.

It's like the ultimate in exfoliating experiences. Only, instead of sloughing off dead skin, we're sloughing off our old life, getting ready to expose a brand spanking new one.

Sam has been musing about this plan of ours lately.

Sam: I'm tired of this place. I'm ready for something new. Why would anyone stay the same place their entire lives?

Tons of people do it. Before me, he probably would have been among them. Most of my family has lived in the same town FOREVER.

Oh, but I like our new ten year plan. And after I reveal what we have in the works, I'm thinking you'll like our new ten year plan, too.

Just give me a few days...maybe a week. Then, I'll divulge just about everything.

And in the meantime, fingers crossed that we have a kick ass yard sale.