The first stage of the great move has been completed. For so many years moving for me meant spending a couple of hours �packing down� the RV and we could be on the road. But that was before the albatross grew swollen and heavy around my neck. The years spent dragging around the weight was also spent accumulating stuff (I now believe a salve for my wounded soul.) The good news is I have down-sized by at least half and I am certain I will make another cut when I have the items in my new home and find no real use for them.

Hmmm, where did I leave off? Right, Sunday I was happy because I had made such progress. Sunday the progress screeched to a halt. Well, to be fair I did get a few minor things done but the main goal, firing up the generator, proved to be impossible. Without a volt meter it was impossible to even trouble shoot beyond the fact that you press the start and nothing happened.

I worked on cars for a few years and I know that engines (at least the older and smaller ones) are quit simple. There are only four elements to the system, spark, fuel, combustion, exhaust. If it doesn�t even try to turn over it is probably electrical or the starter. If it tries to start but doesn�t it is the fuel (gas or air). And if it starts and runs badly it is air (carburetor) or exhaust (blocked).

I knew it was electrical and I knew that my Darling Beau (a former electronics mechanic in the Marines) would be able to hunt it down. Asking him to do it, despite my obvious ability to do the job delivered two benefits. One, I was able to focus on things that he could not assist with inside the cramped space of my RV and two, he was able to be the hero and save the day for me. It has taken me some time to learn that feeling needed is an important part of masculine mental health. My whole life I thought it would be better that a man believed I was with him because I wanted to be not because I needed him but I was wrong. �Being needed� is a large part of the male ego system. On the heels of his job loss it was a big boost for him to �save� me. The truth is he did save me. I could not have moved on time without him.

My Hero got the generator running on Monday and I packed up the rest of the stuff got rid of the shed and we both moved all the stuff I was keeping into the RV proper since the under storage was full. I actually panicked at that point because I thought �OMG I have way too much stuff� but really all the cupboard and storage inside was empty so that was why there was no room inside the RV.

Tuesday I painted the bedroom, installed the molding and donated the stuff I didn�t want. It took three tries to make the donation (I literally couldn�t give the stuff away). Seems the Salvation Army and Goodwill are packed. Amvets acquiesced and begrudgingly took all but the bicycles which I was forced to place in the dumpster. I am hoping they were pulled out by someone who could make use of them (the dumpsters were freshly dumped.)

On Tuesday at approximately 4:00 I pulled my 32� RV from space E-2 (my home since January 1, 2002) and parked it in storage. I am officially no longer trailer trash. Technically, however, I am currently homeless as I have no official address until the 15th.

Soon stage two and three will be complete and my life will bear almost no resemblance to the time before. The time before I quit smoking. The time before I quit drinking. The time before the end of my marriage. New life, new rules. Oh and as of today my ex and his girlfriend have no contact information for me, no address, no phone number and no work number. I don�t have to worry about anything but an accidental encounter and every day I feel more distant from all that insanity.

Tonight I will rest, all is not done but it will wait a few days while I catch my breath. Speaking of breath, Friday will be two years free of nicotine.

It�s a lifetime.

I wish you Peace

~alison~

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