Happy to get my first copy of the Denver Post this morning to read at breakfast.

It's the same the world over. I stopped at a McDonald's around 10:30 to get a drink and there was a table of senior citizens solving the world's problems before noon.

I also miss paper clips, specific pencils, the outdoor responders to my indoor/outdoor thermometers but I'll find them-eventually.

Finally bought license plates for Kathy's car. She also couldn't stomach having the typical Colorado white with Green background plates either. She opted for a different plate at a slight additional price. We both lived in Wyoming too long.
Things I miss but can't find
1. my office wastebasket
2. the keyboard for my desktop computer. Luckily I have a second one (keyboard that is)
3. a full sized refrig. I could find this if we had one.
4. silverware
5. my Redneck calendar-nuff said.
I'll miss more things tomorrow.

Three things I really didn't expect to see while going shopping for groceries yesterday.
1. A couple was standing on the side of the road outside their parked car and hugging very intently-sort of-she was looking over his shoulder and was checking her e-mail for text messages or calls. On the way home they were still parked on the side of the road but just talking this time. I thought a four-lane highway is a strange place to stop just to strengthen a relationship, particularly outside. Oh, well.

2. When I was coming out the grocery store, one of the young lady baggers was returning an electric handicapped grocery cart to the store. While she was driving she was either reading or actually texting because she didn't see the car that almost ran into her as she crossed the parking lane next to the store. She never looked up.

3. Coming home to drop off the groceries, I pass the block of mail boxes in our area. The door of one box was wide open with what appeared to be a key for the mailbox as well as what appeared to be a set of car keys still in the lock. I think this may have been a hard thing to explain to one's spouse as to what did the person do with his/her keys. They were still there an hour later but when I came home later, they weren't there. I'll never know.

A person just can't make these things up.

Yesterday the movers were scheduled to deliver goods to our house in Littleton.

7:30 am the van is in Denver; there is a problem with the electrical system on the trailer (read lights) and the trailer is in the shop

8:45 the electrical problem is solved. Ten minutes later it shorts out again.

9:30 they're on their way

10:00 they pull onto the street but we live on a cul de sac and there are several cars on the street and they can't get lined up with our house as they can't turn around. Ten minutes later they get turned around but a neighbor could have some sod problems.

We begin the paperwork.
There are approximately 450 items to be delivered and I have a sheet that I have to check off each item as it goes in the house, garage, or yard. The last time I moved 32 years ago some of our friends helped and we just loaded up cars and pick-ups. The last out-of-state move was two van loads from Iowa to Denver.

I sit on a chair on the porch, sip lemonade and check off each item. This will go on for the next four and a half hours with 30 minutes for lunch and bathroom breaks when you can sneak them in.

Around three Keri, Aiden and Reid arrive in the Twinmobile (a Porsche of strollers for twins). It is a side-by-side stroller with great wheels and easy pushing. Remember, they just live on the next cul de sac and it is less than a five minute walk. The boys start to get fussy so Keri goes to get mail from from both our boxes (we are both in the same bank of mail boxes). On the way back A & R fall asleep so Keri puts them in the shade and we visit and check boxes at the same time. It a good thing as the boys will get acclimated to the noise, the smell of lawnmower fumes (a neighbor is mowing his lawn) and a chance just to get outside. They wake up about 30 minutes later so Keri takes them home.

4:45 we start on the final paperwork. Believe in miracles-everything arrived with only one item of damage of which we are aware. At 5:10 the van pulls out. The only thing they forgot was to put the basement door back on and that took me less than 5 minutes.

A little clean-up, a shower, and it's off to Keri's for supper. Helped try to settle the guys and did a bottle feeding before they went to bed. Went home, read the mail and headed to bed myself. The next few days I'll have to be careful about tripping over boxes.

I didn't realize I was moving into such a dangerous neighborhood. About half the calls I get at our new address are telemarketers trying to sell me a security system.

Today I became an official resident of Colorado. At 6:47 pm this evening, I crossed the border from Wyoming to Colorado and became a "greenie" (It has to do with the color of the license plates and fishing and hunting in Wyoming. I thought about something ceremonial like changing the garage door openers but the traffic was a little heavy for that.

The movers finished up yesterday afternoon. I spent part of the day helping clean and then headed to Littleton to meet the movers on Saturday.

We are going dark in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, o

Tonight we go dark. That is I unhook the phone, TV, and Internet modem. Those of you who have our cell phone number will have to use it. For the rest, see you later in the week. The movers come tomorrow and unload in Littleton on Saturday. A friend came from Denver and helped pack. She was an army brat and moving all over the world was no big deal-at least knowing how to pack.
I hope I have changed all addresses etc. I talked to our mailman this morning. He knew about the change of address already.
Advice to all-start throwing now while to have the chance. Don't be sentimental; you'll never miss it. Find out if your spouse is a pack rat before marriage. This can avoid later problems.
After 32 years in the same house, I couldn't give better advice.

Finished up the garage sale today. We sold the freezer we had in the garage forever. I think it's older than the girl who bought it. I need to go move our friend Toni's Expedition. Neighbor Dave and his wife went to Jackson Hole this weekend so we moved our cars to his driveway for the sale and just left them there overnight. I'm sure he doesn't mind.

We had a "moving" garage sale. Most of our prices were "make an offer." The stuff we priced was a little to high for garage salers. The best way to go is start low and be prepared to go lower. The GS pros are there between 8 & 9; some earlier. You can just smell the pros. They have a fair idea of what an item should bring. I was more that happy to go lower. The most interesting potential sale was some elderly lady wanted to buy my masking tape I was using to post signs. I should have sold it to her but didn't. It was good to see some old friends. We sold about $150.00 and a lady is coming tomorrow to buy the freezer we've had in the garage for years.
The remaining unsold items went about half and half to the dump and Poverty Resistance.
Moving day minus three.

Due to high winds in the area this morning, several radio stations were knocked off the air. I found myself listening to Rush Limbaugh railing on Obama over the oil spill. The worst part is I had to agree with him on several points. Bummer.

In a time of high unemployment, an oil blowout in the gulf, floods in parts of the country, rising debt, and the prediction of a bumper crop of locusts-just when you think it can't get any worse-Sara Palin appears on this week's cover of Newsweek for an article titled "Saint Sarah."
I'm beginning to think those people who carry around signs proclaiming "The end is in sight" may know more than we give them credit.

I've been doing a lot of traveling down I-25 in the last six months. There's always litter on the side of the road. With all the pick-ups in Wyoming there's always an interesting assortment of junk to be seen or dodged-shoes, lumber, pieces of rugs, bottles, etc. We even saw a drawer fly out of a dresser in an open trailer. Yesterday may have provided the most unusual-a crutch on the side of the road. Now there's a story.

A week or so ago we decided we were going to have a garage sale today. We waited until the last minute to put an ad in the paper but didn't. We read the weather forecast each day and decided today would be a waste of time. As it turns out, it hasn't stopped raining for the last two days and the temp is in the 40's today. About the only thing one could sell is probably a used ark.
Just lucky-maybe next week.

This morning I went to drink coffee with my homies (retired teachers) probably for the last time. I really have enjoyed my Thursday mornings. One guy was showing pictures on his cell phone. They weren't of his family-they were pictures of caught fish and large game animals he had shot. No one is offended as this is the "Wyoming way of life", a phrase on which all politicians from this state campaign.

When phoning large corporations and being put on hold, they play tricks on us to attempt to get us to hang up and forget whatever it is we are calling about. First they play the worst music in the world to annoy us and then they keep interrupting with company messages that as annoying as the music if not worse.
This is what happened to me as I tried to reach Comcast, my new telephone, TV and internet provider. I think if I had wanted to pay a bill, I would gotten right through. This wasn't my case. They sent a "tech" person to the house Friday and almost nothing he installed works. So I called. They gave me the full treatment. After waiting several minutes, I was given a person who listened to my plight and then told me she would transfer me to another person who could help me. Then they put me on hold for half an hour. I refused to give up. I was also working on the computer at the same time. The biggest problem with this is by the time the caller finally talks to a human, the caller is in a terrible mood. This was my case which resulted in a shouting match with the person on the other end of the line as he tried to do anything but promise to send out another tech. I wanted a tech to straighten out the initial mess and wouldn't give in. After several moments of screaming-not talking loudly-and threatening to go to Dish Network, he finally agreed to send another tech. We'll see. A caller just has to out wait and outshout the bastards.

In Littleton people spend quite a bit of money for their intruder systems. They have signs in front of their houses identifying their companies. I think this is a bit ironic because I observed this weekend that they are inviting trouble when they pull up their campers, RV, or trailers to their houses beginning Thursday and start loading them for the weekend. They do get Friday's paper but Saturday's and Sunday's papers lie in the driveway until late Sunday indicating that no one is home. If I'm an intruder, I believe early Sunday morning would be a good time to hit a house and carry out as much stuff as possible in the few minutes it takes for the alarm to alert the security companies to alert law enforcement. It would also be a good time for vandalism because the papers are a dead giveaway that no one is home.

Today Kathy and I celebrated our 41st anniversary. We ate at an Arby's (this is a long tradition and a family joke) and followed up by going to a TCBY. Love is grand.

Littleton:
I forgot that ballooning is big in this part of the world. I was walking around the yard this morning checking out the sprinkler system when I spotted the first balloons near Chatfield Reservoir. We went to a huge balloon show at Chatfield State Park two or three years ago and it was spectacular.
They've held a couple of shows in Casper but who knows when the wind will come up, what direction, or how strong. We saw one land in the parking lot of an apartment complex once. We saw another almost land in the North Platte River. I guess uncertainty puts some thrill in ballooning.
Anyway, there were several balloons in the air between 7:00 and 7:30 this morning. Since we will be close by, that will be another perk to living in our new house.
This first big balloon show I ever saw was in Otumwa (sp), Iowa quite a few years ago.

Littleton, CO-Walked to the mailboxes around the corner this morning. The USPS has been putting several mailboxes in groups to save on something (service, I think). It's pretty close but I miss our Casper system where we took something to box at the end of the drive, put up the flag, and waited for the mailperson. Now I will have no way to know if the mail has been delivered or not. I guess one advantage-Keri and Eric get their mail at the same cluster so we can pick up each other's mail.

Went to see Cabaret at the Events Center last night. It's part of the "Broadway in Casper" series. We've had season ticket since it first started. This is something we will really miss as we get to see touring shows at reasonable prices compared to some of the urban pricing. We'll also miss the Casper College productions. We were patrons there as well as at Stage III, which is the local theatre group. Bringing culture to the heathen west.