Exhausted & excited

Well, the last 2 weeks are hard to put in words.  Since this is also my journal, I'll try, although it may be a little incoherent.  After 3 months of downsizing, we spent 3 solid days packing (and more dragging stuff to the dumpster).  We thought we were close to ready, but we weren't.  "Every time I open a drawer I find books!"  Friends and family showed up to drag away trash, do extra Goodwill runs, claim more of our stuff, stayed late when the minivan decided to start acting up, loan us vehicles or simply provided moral support. There are a few things that will probably go missing for a few weeks.  We didn't know that we had to have the house "almost empty & clean" for the pre-closing the night before!  Amelia the cat started to realize something was up.  Husband came home the last night and said, "No recliners.  No TV.  This place sucks!  We should move."  

On closing morning we only had to drag out the mattress & box spring (at which point the cat stood in the middle of the bedroom floor and howled.  Heart breaking).  Then box spring wouldn't fit in the minivan.  Then the minivan threw ANOTHER belt.  We dropped the cat off at the office, again.  We showed up at our closing relieved and left with the savings account a little fatter!  My step-daughter came by that night and bought my car.  "How come everybody keeps handing YOU the checks?"  We showed up at our friends house with 2 duffels, a cat and the espresso machine.  Apparently, we're hilarious.  We passed out as soon as we hit the bed.

The original pile.  It grew after the closing.  Will it fit in the minivan?

The day after our closing, I had to go out to the plane and clean IT out before a maintenance flight on Sunday.  Everything going to the boat was now in "the pile" in my husband's office.  A lot of people stopped by just to see "the pile."  "Is that all going to fit?"  Good question.  I started consolidating and repacking.  This ended up being good practice for the boat.  Why pack a box of sugar when you can pour it into a ziploc bag? It's amazingly convenient to have everything you own in a pile at work.  Need trash bags?  No problem.  Didn't dress for the weather?  No problem.  Hungry?  No problem, it's in "the pile."

Every time I walk by a window, I say "Hey!  Look!  Horses!"  Oh, they live here.

Scrambled eggs without having to go to the farmer's market.  Bravo Ladies!

We have a wonderful friend with a finished, walk-out lower level who invited us to stay with her for the 10 days we would be homeless. Amelia could be locked downstairs with us and Husband could sneak in & out without bothering anyone.  This turned out to be a good transition.  Then my friend realized we could animal sit while she headed out of town!  Win, win.  Our cat, 1 dove, 1 dog, 3 Koi, (4 horses and 2 chickens, but they had a separate caretaker).  Amelia ignored Snap the Dog on the other side of the glass door and wasn't very interested in the bird either.  However, she was pretty sure she wanted to go in the basement and visit the fish!  She happily settled in with her food bowl and favorite blanket. 

Everyone keeps asking when we're leaving.  We're leaving when Craig is done with work, the van is loaded and we've overstayed our welcome at our friend's house, which is hopefully "by the end of the month."

A bottle of wine by the fire pit.  That's the Moon & Venus.  We know because this was a long discussion that had to be settled with an iphone app

A weekend at the boat

We decided to make a run to the boat (a 14-hour drive).  The forecast temps were supposed to be in the 50's after a brutal winter.  We wanted to sweep off the snow, drop off the solar panels & running rigging (to leave more room in the minivan on the "Big Move") and get some work done.  Somewhere in Indiana, we realized we forgot the boat keys.  About the Maryland border we realized we not only lose an hour (east coast time) but it was also "Spring back" day!  We lost two hours :-(  Who planned this trip? 

We waited until Annapolis to eat dinner.  Husband mentioned Katana Sushi restaurant across from the Hilton Garden Inn several times.  (In the past, I could only get him to go out for sushi on my birthday!)  Apparently, it's his new favorite place.  We were afraid they would be closed, but a quick google confirmed they were open until 10.  We arrived at 9:00 pm and walked in behind a group of 20.  Oh, yeah.  It's Saturday and apparently we are OLD.  We couldn't remember the last time we've been out this late!  We pulled into the hotel only to realize we forgot the duffle bag with our clothes for the weekend.  "I thought you grabbed it."  "I thought YOU grabbed it."  Are we having fun yet?  

"Hey, that's us!"

We were up bright and early.  It turned out Husband had all the tools he needed to break the padlock on the boat in less than 15 minutes ("Good thing I didn't choose a life of crime").  Odin was frozen in place and covered in snow.  I ended up on snow detail.  There was a nice layer of ice underneath to make it even more fun. 

"Brrrrrr!"

Don't worry, they said.  The Chesapeake never freezes!

Husband installed the new chart plotter and VHF before I finished and said, "Did you get a picture of the first boat project?"  He was proud that he was drilling holes in our boat within 5 minutes of arriving.  Goof ball.

My husband isn't just an expert at fixing things, but a creative genius.  I like to think this explains the mess that explodes around him as he works.  He doesn't just fix things, he makes the part or fabricates the tool.  He's also used to working solo.  (ie. climbing off the bimini roof to get a tool laying right next to me in the cockpit)  We're working on it.

By now it was already eleven, so after a quick walk through of the boat I asked to be released for errands.  "As long as you come back with trash bags & lunch."  Deal.  I found the Trader Joe's (across from the West Marine), grocery store, book store & Starbucks.  All set!

"Break time"

By now the boat was warming up, so as Husband began changing out the running rigging, I got out the trash bags & started cleaning down below.  The boat had looked pretty clean but some of the cleaning supplies were from as far back as 2000.  I also would be bringing kitchen ware & dishes from home so I had to make room.  I measured cabinets and for a carpet runner.  Back out for errands.  I had also forgot to go to the bathroom while I was out earlier (rookie mistake--the boat is still winterized).

"Pretty new running rigging."

Later, I fell asleep on the salon couch while Husband was on the floor mumbling about wiring. (I assumed he was talking to himself.  He knows electricity is my least favorite system.  Apparently, I was supposed to be listening.)  Salon couch comfortable?  Check.

We did an evening run to Target.  Clearly we're from the midwest.  The Target has a parking garage and elevators.  We walked out of the parking garage and all the way around the building before we realized we needed to take elevators up to the store.  They even have an elevator for your cart!

Day two.  I watched Husband putting mounts on the solar panels.  "Gee, that looks like something I could help with."  After 4 hours of climbing around, we were showing voltage with the sun out!

My favorite upgrade so far.  Pack the espresso machine!

First mate's new role being defined:  "Did you bring a sharpie?"  "Did you bring the label maker?"  "Did you find the dinghy pump?"  Ummmm...

After lunch, the Captain said, "Time to go up the mast to measure the standing rigging."  Dang.  "That's what we came for."  It turns our the climbing rig he had been practicing with was giving him trouble.  "What if you hoist me up?"  The next thing I know, I'm halfway up with a tape measure in my hand.  (Don't drop the tape measure!  "That will leave a mark.")

Pretty solar panels.  Yes, that's ice!

The one project I was hoping to complete was a runner just inside the companionway.  Husband had put down a sheet, but it was clear we were going to need something non-skid and quickly.  Errands revealed most runners are 20" wide to start.  Too wide.  While doing my morning stretching, it hit me.  Yoga mat!  It can be cut to size (and around the step), easy to clean, non-skid and can double as a YOGA MAT.  Later Husband asked, "How long is the yoga mat?  Did you get a picture?"  He needed to order a battery cord that would stretch from one battery box to the other, and the yoga mat was a great way to measure it!  (First Mate gets a gold star).

My afternoon chore was taking chart inventory.  Several sets were as old as the boat (1993).  A few were older!  Husband asks if I'm going to run errands because "we need a bottle of wine."  Didn't I want to sit out in the cockpit and have a glass of wine before we leave?  I'm gone (rookie mistake #2.  Check that you have the car keys before you walk to the car.)  I may have snuck into West Marine & bought more charts.  Side tracked.  Is it a coincidence the liquor store is next to West Marine?  I don't think so.

Is that a picture of a bottle of wine (Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc) or the new chart plotter?  Both!

We had a great dinner at Yellowfin Tuna.  They have a wonderful spot to watch the sunset.

The Captain wanted to stay.  I reminded him the boat is still winterized and "we have to go home and get the cat."

"Good bye, Annapolis.  See you soon."

Are we homeless?

Have you thought about being homeless?  I don't mean sleeping in a box.  I mean not having a residential or "physical" address?  It's actually very difficult to do in our modern times. I learned this first hand when family members flooded out of Lyons, CO came to stay with us.  My brother-in-law had to quit his job, since they lost their home.  They couldn't get a health insurance quote until they had a physical address in the state of intended residency.  Seriously, not even a QUOTE!  (Their intention was to continue eastbound).  Odin will be our home, but will be in relative constant motion (ie. staying less than a month in each place--faster than the postal service can forward mail), and we plan on anchoring out (ie. not paying for marina slips with a physical address). Here's what I've learned, and it's far from complete:

You cannot use a PO Box on your driver's license or many other government documents (I heard someone got "homeless" put on their driver's license, but I'm not going to try it).  Did you know your car insurance rates are based on your mailing address?  When my father-in-law stayed with us, we tried to change his mailing address.  They wanted to know if he was "visiting" or had moved because it would change his rates.  We also had this problem when we tried to update our mailing address while the house was on the market--even though it was the next county over.  Some full-time cruisers have come back after an extended absence and had their car insurance company say they are now considered newly insured (This sounds a little off, but the word you should use instead of cancel is "suspend".)  What if you want to rent a car out of the country?  You will need a US driver's license & probably should have some form of insurance (you can carry limited coverage). 

The word for living outside the country for extended amounts of time is "expatriate" or "expat" for short.  Apparently, Social Security is the only entity that understands expats.  A large number of social security checks are deposited overseas (with no way to track those that live abroad and still use their hometown bank).

If in 2016, we live on the boat full-time in the Caribbean, do we owe state taxes (house sold in 2015 and only income is from investments)?  As far as I can tell, the IRS says yes, even if you don't meet the residency requirement of any state--which is 183 days in Missouri. Did you turn in your license plates, drivers license, voter registration and library card?  Then you are still a resident.  The state of your mailing address and health insurance may be referred to as your "domicile."  The state of California is the worst.  You are considered a resident and owe taxes until you prove you are a resident of another state.  Your best bet is to establish residency in a state that doesn't collect state income taxes (but beware, they may hit you with "other" taxes like personal property tax of vehicle/boat registration).

(http://www.usexpattaxhelp.com/Expat-State-Tax-Return.php) or (http://www.taxesforexpats.com/articles/expat-tax-rules/state-taxes-expat-tax-return.html)

And the bank wants a "residence" address not a mailing address.  If they get wind that you aren't living in the US, they can close your account.  (http://www.wsj.com/articles/expats-left-frustrated-as-banks-cut-services-abroad-1410465182) or (http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/11/us-banks-expats-idUSKBN0EM16V20140611)

Most health insurance is only useable out of the state if you go to emergency room.  NONE will work out of the country.  But Obamacare requires it or you are penalized on your taxes (there is supposed to be a way to waive this is you prove you aren't a full-time resident).

So what do you do?  Many use a family members address with some going as far as signing leases to prove their residency (what if you get a jury summons?) RV'ers are a great source of info (http://rvroadtrip.us/library/mail.php) ie. if you are moving on a regular basis, how do you renew your license plates and drivers license?  There are states that are friendly to this lifestyle.  Some cruisers & RV'ers use a mail forwarding service that will scan, forward or shred your mail.  We may go this route next year (we'll be Missouri residents for 2015, at least).  However, I've heard stories of mail forwarded outside the country never reaching it's destination.

Modern times allow us to go "almost" paperless, except for our Coast Guard registration which must be signed and returned (then we will need a copy of the new registration).  I've spent the last year trying to stop the flow of mail, but I don't think it's quite possible yet (The IRS is still sending letters about Husband's deceased father's return from 2013.)  I have an Aunt who keeps calling and asking for my mailing address after we move out of our house.  I finally promised to send postcards, but I know she'll try to write back--and we'll be long gone.

Do you want to get a hold of us?  There is internet access in most marinas.  If not we will head into town in search of a library, coffee shop or bar that does.  Don't panic if you don't hear from us for a few days.  WE LIVE ON A BOAT :-)