August Furlough

As we're soldiering on with moving plans, my thoughts often wander to our month-long vacation in August. The official Portland departure date is Tuesday, August 5th. It feels pretty cool to say that we have a one-way ticket to the west coast. The first week in Portland will actually be quite hectic because we haven't even started thinking about finding an apartment. That will be a top priority on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Also, I have a job interview on August 7th, so will be a giant ball of nerves for most of the week. No rest for the weary! Not even when we arrive. I'm already exhausted and we still have 15 days left in July.

On Tuesday, August 12th we will board Amtrak's Starlight Coast train and travel down to Sacramento. Given that the trip will take approximately 16 hours (overnight) I decided to book a sleeper car. I am so excited about our "roomette." We'll definitely have to make a martini and pretend we're Myrna Loy and William Powell taking their three-day train ride from New York to San Francisco. I'm sure it will be just as much fun as is portrayed in the movies (because being cooped up in a 4'x6' room with another person is always a barrel of laughs). I can imagine the charming conversations we will have like, "god, Jesse your feet stink, eew did you fart?" and "lord, Erin you are such a nag!" Note to self, pack snacks, lots of snacks, and a cute little traveling outfit like Nora Charles (replete with a jaunty fur collar and driving gloves).

Once in Sacramento, we will board the California Zephyr line to Truckee, CA. As plans currently stand, once in Truckee, we will meet up with Jesse's parents and head over to his aunt's house for BBQ and extreme croquet. Luckily, I practiced this weekend at a going away party and have learned to negotiate tree stumps and yard divots. After our afternoon of food and lawn games, we'll pile in the minivan and head to the cabin at Salmon Lake and relax for 4 whole days! I can't wait. Jesse and I have a load of books we want to read and the thought of not having to think about anything other than what pair of shorts I will wear for the day sounds divine.

The rest of August is a bit up in the air. We will likely use Santa Cruz as our home base and take small trips here and there to visit friends. As part of our moving plans, we will inherit Nightrain's car, but before we leave California I have to learn how to drive the thing. I've never attempted to operate a manual transmission car. Bob, my father-in-law, is taking one for the team and has offered to teach me. I have recurring nightmares of bucking through some anonymous parking lot in Santa Cruz, and him needing an extended meditation retreat after the whole ordeal. Jesse and I discussed whether there was any altruistic value in his offer, or if the darker forces are at work (I imagine the lesson will provide him with plenty of fuel for making fun of me for the rest of my life).

Either way, he's signed on and there's no turning back! In order to ensure that I'm on my best behavior, Jesse has instated a policy that I have to give up $5 of my discretionary budget toward the "replace our clutch fund" every time I blurt out an expletive while driving. I'll be hard, but I'm hoping my frugality will triumph!

For now though, I ease my jitters through constant reminders that his parents, thankfully, don't have a gated driveway.