Archive | August, 2013

Don’t Know What You’ve Got Til’ It’s Gone

25 Aug

The satisfaction gained from the achievement of a large undertaking is one of the most substantial that life affords. The Happiness Project

We’ve been planning the adventure of Dos Tortas for over a year, but as the departure came nearer, we actually began getting closer to familia and friends. People we haven’t seen in years contacted us, invited us for dinner and wanted to hang out before we left. Even family members who we saw every few months went the extra mile to spend time with us. It’s definitely easier to be the leave-er than the leave-ee.

Learning to back the trailer.

Learning to back the trailer.


I lived in Japan for two years in the 80’s, before the birth of the internet. Connection was maintained via infrequent phone calls due to the 12-hour time difference, and long letters on blue airmail folding envelopes. Today we have cell phones, Skype, instant messaging, blogging, FB, email and relatively inexpensive flights to and from. Relationships will change and take a bit more effort to maintain but can be as rich as ever. At least that’s what I tell myself. If even half the people who promised to come see us actually show up, we will be very busy tour guides. I hope one of them is you.

We left Austin on Thursday loaded down. There was barely an inch of space left. Open the door of the trailer and something will surely fall on your head! We are resting in San Antonio with our DIL and grandson. The trailer is ready to roll. We are heading a la frontera super early Sunday morning rather than spend la noche en Laredo. By the time this goes to print, we should be through immigration and on our way.

I created a Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/theadventuresofdostortas to help you dear fans follow our daily progress. Please add comments both here and on FB. Otherwise I’ll see you back here next Sunday from somewhere deep in the heart of Mexico.

Map of Mexico

Follow along our route.

Pulling out of the drive in Austin.

Pulling out of the drive in Austin.

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

If I Didn’t See With My Own Eyes

18 Aug

I met Lisa on September 16,1994 in a lesbian bar. That’s why last night was such a perfect send off for our last weekend in Austin. We had spent the day packing the trailer. Looking from our pile of stuff to that tiny trailer had caused me some exceedingly restless nights. Lisa’s history of packing 18-wheelers gave me some hope, but I still had little faith. The end results were amazing. We had help from our sons, their dad and Lisa’s cousin. I was in charge of recording where everything was put in the trailer, writing furiously as they squeezed things into every nook. If I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I would never have believed how much we fit in that trailer.

Friends had told us of a fun sounding event happening last night. It was a reunion of folks who used to hang at a bar named Rusty’s, long gone the way of lesbian bars in Austin. We took naps, dusted off our only pair of clean shorts and headed over to Maria’s Tacos for an old fashioned lesbian soiree and drag show. We had a blast. A last chance to dance a little two-step, run into some old friends and visit the time capsule of our past. It was absolutely the best send off possible. Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed we could step back in time, except of course for the cell phones, gray hair and extra weight LOL.

An end to a perfect day.

A Room Full of Stuff

Fit this in the Trailer? OMG

Packed

Packed

Find Something? I doubt it.

Find Something? I doubt it.

Grandson, Lisa, DIL, Sons & their dad.

Going to Miss You Sweeties

Maria's Tacos

Maria’s Tacos

Great Drag Show

Life is a Cabaret

Refrigerator Magnet

Thought For the Day

The Mexican Consulate and hitting the Salvage Yards

11 Aug

The skills you acquire when turning your life up-side-down and moving to another country are varied and numerous. This week we visited the Mexican Consulate to apply for residency in our adopted country. A residency visa will keep us from having to cross a border every 180 days in order to stay in the country. Mexico has recently rewritten its immigration laws and the process must be initiated in our home country. When we get to Mexico we will have to prove adequate income as retirees and hope and pray we have enough. The exact amount is sketchy and imprecise, as are so many things in Mexico. We were photographed and finger printed. Visas acquired. CHECK

On to the job of transportation. The truck and trailer have new tires and have received a complete once-over by Jason and his crew at Leonard’s Automotive. I can’t say enough about these guys. AC has been juiced and brakes repaired. We are ready to rock’n roll. CHECK

So what about the salvage yards you ask? When we got the truck, we were missing the jack and important levers to lower the spare tire. Riding around Austin, it is easy to be reckless, but not when driving 30 hours and crossing a border. I visited five male car parts heavens on the south end of Congress Avenue. Each time there was head shaking and pointing me up the street to their compadres. What to do? I returned to see Jason who referred me to David at the local dealership. It pays to have connections and after $100 (gulp) we were ready to go. CHECK

Getting out of the glass tower of state government and moving among mortals has proven to be fun and productive. The coming week is filled with packing and loading the trailer. I think some practice in backing it up is in order. Another skill I hope never to need again.

Mexican Consulate in Austin

Mexican Consulate in Austin

Residency Visa

Residency Visa

Thought For The Day

Thought For The Day

Honey have you seen my….?

4 Aug

Have you seen my phone, keys, wallet, Ipad, recharger, badge…? So much stuff to keep track of. This week I let go of a big one, the badge. I remember when it wasn’t necessary to swipe a badge to enter a building or an office. No picture was hanging from my lapel to identify me as NOT an intruder, crazy gun toter or perpetrator of domestic violence.

Wednesday was my last day of state employment. I was touched by the kind sentiments of folks who expressed sadness over my departure. The question of the day was, “are you excited???” Funny enough, I wasn’t. We have a huge adventure looming on the horizon with much to accomplish in the next two weeks. However, I did finally hit excitement yesterday when we set a departure date, two weeks from today! Yesterday we signed papers to put the sale of our house into the very capable hands of our dear friend Suze Miller. Once we depart, the house will be staged and sold rapidament (gracias a Dios). Until then, I will be very busy.

No More Stinkin Badge

No More Stinkin Badge

One last thing, we had a family get-together last Wednesday to celebrate my retirement and got a surprise gift we didn’t expect. My youngest son and his fiance are expecting a baby in January, a little girl, Sophia Aria Fisher. Life just get’s better and better.

Hunter's getting a sister!

Hunter’s getting a sister!

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