Can someone tell me how to get to Napa, CA

We have left the house, but haven't gotten any closer to our target. On the contrary!!

Originally, we had 'only' 2862 miles to destination.
Last I checked here in the hotel in Cranbury, NJ (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Cranbury,+NJ&ie=UTF8&z=12&iwloc=addr), we now have 2888 miles to go.
I guess we started off in the wrong direction... :-) Time to turn on the nav-system!

Friends are the greatest treasure in life

It is befitting that we spent our last Holiday with Jo and Al.

Jo has been a constant presence in our lives for over 15 years. Jos first met her in Japan in 1992 and through one of these coincidences in life she came back to the US around the same time we moved to NJ in 1996. We became fast friends and have been ever since.

Then she met Al and he also became part of our family. Lots of good memories that we share, including my wedding. We love them so much that Shooter's first name is actually Aljo (another coincidence, no kidding).

So this posting is a tribute to Jo and Al, our very good friends. We thank them for everything they have done for us throughout these past 12 years and we wish them happiness, love and good fortune. And we will be looking forward to seeing them again soon. They will be moving with us, in our hearts, as all my friends and family will.

Home Suite Home

That is a lame title, I know... "Home is where the heart is" is also corny, but it is so true. We are currently crammed in a space that is smaller than what my living room used to be but we are all happy because we are together.

The Greys are happy to be with us and are just hanging out and chilling. The trip in the elevator was very funny. First they did not want to go inside that little "cage". Then, as usual, Shooter went exploring and Lady reluctantly followed. Once the door closed and the elevator made the "ding" sound, all broke loose and they started sniffing and exploring everything. Too bad it was a short ride, just three floors. (and thank good that sniffing is all they did :-) ).

We all had breakfast now, so we're going for a walk so the dogs will exercise and do their thing and then we will chill too, because we are wiped out and we need to charge our batteries. So we'll stay at "home" today.

The Last 100 Yards

I feel like I am at the last 100 yards after running a whole marathon and they feel like the longest 100 yards of my life.

The movers are just leaving after 4 hours of hauling things around. In the beginning it went very fast and they got everything out of the house quickly. But then came the part where they need to put the stuff in the truck and that took forever. And by the way, that is the longest truck I have ever seen in my life. Pictures will follow.

Jos is managing the move while I pack the last things up and clean the house.

Lady is hiding in the basement and Shooter is following me everywhere.

Shooter looked very sad, laying on the carpet in the middle of the bedroom, probably wondering where the comfy bed went...

Well, my fast food break is finished and I am going back to running those last 100 yards at my snail pace. We will attach the pictures/video later. Bye.

Reduction (cooking) – the process of thickening or intensifying the flavor of a liquid mixture such as a soup, sauce, wine, or juice by evaporation

I feel like I am in reduction (the cooking term, just to avoid misunderstandings): all unnecessary stuff in this boxing/moving process is being removed (evaporated), until only the most important things are left.
Well then, besides wonderful wife and 2 greys, the laptop is the main survivor of the reduction.

Come to think of it, since 1992, when I really started shaking up my life in all directions, the laptop has always been by my side. I used to say 'the only thing that doesn't change in my life is 'config.sys' and 'autoexec.bat'. Obviously, Microsoft also managed to change that for me. But so far, the concept of the laptop by my side hasn't changed. It only has reduced in size.

The greyhounds look like they are in constant state of reduction. Shooter is slightly heavy, but Lady only seems to carry what she needs to survive: no fat or unnecessary weight.

What a wonderful state of mind.

Light at the end of the tunnel

There seems to be a tiny light at the end of the tunnel. We are approaching some level of conclusion with the packing and reaching the give away/throw away phase. Exciting. I can see countertops and table tops again and the floor is starting to appear beneath our feet.

Lady and Shooter (The Greys...) are still weirded out with all the commotion and are not sure what the heck is going on. But they are less stressed and are eating again, which is a good thing. They still avoid staying in the same room with us when we are boxing things up. Maybe they are afraid we will put them in a box too! hehehe.

Shooter has been stealing some of my plush animals and carrying them around the house. I wonder what he is trying to tell me....

Looking forward to driving (or maybe not)

Driving with your loved one in the passenger seat (I was going to write 'driving with the wife') is always a pleasure. She continuously warns you of all the potential hazards that may be coming up, gently guides you to merging in the correct lane at the proper time, warns you of upcoming yellow or red lights, tells you not to break to strong, keeps you informed that she is on the right side of the car and is most vulnerable when cars get too close on that side, keeps track of the rain and informs you to turn the wiper slower or faster to make sure you have proper view, etc.

I really look forward to driving the 3000 miles with her by my side.

A good thing the greyhounds will probably just sit back and relax in the back and sleep all the way.

Doggies !!!!