Our Maiden Voyage and Pneumonia

Well, I made a vow to start writing more regularly... Then... well.. nothing happened!  I so admire those people that blog consistently even when nothing is happening in their lives.

I'm sure that I've mentioned that funding has completely changed January 1, for my team at IBM.  For the past 5 years we were fully funded, meaning we could help people at no cost to them.  So of course there were lots of requests for support, but now we have to actually support ourselves, so anyone asking for support will have to pay our department for that support, obviously the dynamic changed!  Also in the middle of it I took on the role of coordinating work for the North American team.  Or in this case, coordinating the "lack of work".  So things have been challenging and slow at work, but finally are starting to pick up.  ON the bright side, I didn't travel yet this year and instead have had the opportunity to focus on downsizing our life.  Carrying on the work from previous posts we are now really seeing a dent in our "stuff".

But it was really hard to decide what to keep, not knowing for sure what would fit in the RV... SO, Mike noticed a 2 week break in his work schedule and the weather was supposed to be beautiful during that time.  We decided it would be a good time to take a trip down to Phoenix and pick up the RV.  Having it home would make it so much easier!  So Mike worked Saturday, with a LOT of people out sick, he got a private lesson.  Then Sunday early morning we headed out.

I'm in the BMW - following the 4-runner and trailer to Albuquerque.

First stop was Albuquerque for the night, where we delivered our BMW to my parents, who were in the market for just such a car.  Their Truck had been to big to fit in their garage at their old house, and therefore it had been broken into a number of times, ending up being stolen altogether.  A Car theft ring was busted in Albuquerque about 2 weeks later, and they got the car back, but it started them thinking perhaps they should sell the truck, that doesn't fit in the garage at the new house either.  ANYHOW, it all worked out for us.  Mike says the BWM is the first car he is sad to let go.  Nice to know my parents will be the ones we are letting it go to.  We also took the large pile of things that have been accumulating to take to the kids in Albuquerque.

We also had a trailer full of  stuff to deliver to Mike's son Josh in Phoenix.  Great opportunity to check in on the grandkids too!.  But as we pulled out of Albuquerque, Mike says, "I think I'm coming down with a cold, maybe you can drive".  That was Monday.  Tuesday and Wednesday he could do little but lie on the couch, I had caught the bug too, so we were both.. very docile guests!  On Wednesday night 10pm, Mike called me from the RV and said he thought he should go to the hospital.  This was huge because he does not believe in traditional medicine, has stated he would rather die than have to have his appendix out for example...  So anyway, obviously this was serious.

Mike wouldn't let me take his picture in the hospital...
but then again, he looked pretty much like this!

Carla, our daughter-in-law is a lab tech at a nearby hospital and recommended we go there, since she could help manage the care.  None of us thought he would be admitted, but he turned out to have Pneumonia and Flu, and they wanted to admit him and get the fluids and antibiotics started in the IV asap.  So the next 3 days he was in the hospital.  At 64 years old this is the first hospital stay he has ever had, and he thinks the sickest he has ever been, with the exception of Rhumatic Fever he had that kept him in bed for 4 months when he was 15.  Overall, it was a fairly tramatic experience.  We had planned to come home on Friday, but since he didn't get out of the hospital until Saturday, obviously that changed.




Sunday, he thought perhaps he could help Josh do a couple of things on the RV, but after he walked around it twice, he was exhausted.  So he was home and better, but not well.

About Killed Mike but this was all the energy he could muster...

... While josh got to have all the fun!!!  Thank goodness for Josh!

We decided to come home to Colorado Wednesday, and actually left Thursday night, on our maiden voyage!  After hooking up the trailer and getting the car on it, and saying our goodbyes, we drove about 2 hours and stayed in the Wal-mart parking lot in Payson, AZ.  Great thing about it, we were bringing our bed.  The next day was very long... didn't really push the RV, and we got home about 11:30pm.  I'm still recovering from the flu I got but Mike was too weak to drive, so I drove most the way... A little intimidating at first, but by now I'm pretty comfortable and we had no mishaps along the way!

The sunset was sure pretty as we got the car loaded to leave.

But it's easier to see the rig from this side

Out First night on the road... At Wal-Mart of course!

Now that we are home again, Mike and I can just focus on recovery.  It may take him a while.  He is still "As weak as a kitten" as he puts it.  But the RV is in the driveway, and we can start moving things in as we feel up to it.  The landlord has rented out the house already... AND they said they would likely buy any furniture we had left... Sweet!  And in 2 weeks I'm going to start traveling again.  Stay tuned.