Step by step….

Happy New Year everyone! We wish all of you a great one! We are glad that you are our friends!

          Well, we’re at that point…..

          It’s called “Hurry up and Wait”

          It’s like a NASA hold on a countdown until launch, everything is in limbo.

          We’ve gone over our prep lists a dozen times looking for things to check off but it’s impossible to complete this process until it’s time to GO!

          The entire motorhome interior needs to be deep cleaned, top to bottom, inside out, and every other way possible because if not, we risk the distinct possibility of coming home to “Mold and Mildew City.”

          We do not want to live there.

          Many an article has been published (and read by us) as to the downfalls of not preparing a motorhome properly for winter storage. This is a first for us as the longest we’ve ever been “not at home” is only a few days. So, clean cloths and disinfecting all-purpose cleaners in hand, we are ready to do battle with all those nasty invisible creepies that attach themselves to any surface that has even the remotest vestige of organic material clinging to it.

Think “Greasy Fingerprints” and go up from there.

We are quite sure that we can do this correctly, but there is no way to do it until we are finally exiting.

          That, along with fridge and freezer cleaning, freshly laundered sheets, etc. and sparkling bathrooms, make for a busy last day here at the Home Port.  

          The fridge and freezer emptying has been the most fun. They will be left turned on while we’re gone for all the right reasons but having unnecessary items left inside is not in the plan. So, our meal planning discussions sound something like this, “Would you like the cauliflower pancakes with the pierogies or the chicken cilantro wontons and chocolate croissants?”

          That’s an easy one, always choose the chocolate croissants with anything!

Our front seats and dinette benches are being extricated and brought up to College Station for a much-needed re-upholstery job. This will take several weeks so it’s good that we won’t be around using the motorhome. It’s hard to travel when your Pilot’s Chair is not in place. Folding chairs or orange crates would probably not be good replacement!

 But…. they can’t be removed until we make our final trip to the Dump Station which needs to be, you guessed it…. right before we button everything up and are no longer using it!

          Hence, more “Hurry up and Wait.”

Remember those Princess Medallions that I’ve been describing?

The ones that communicate with our stateroom door, the Bartenders, and each other?

Well, they have finally arrived and not a moment too soon! They were mailed three weeks ago from California but got delayed somewhere along the line. They’re kind of nifty, they have our names on them, the ship, and the sailing date. I guess that they can be used for Christmas Tree ornaments when it’s all over (?)

 They come in the colors of the level of the Captains Circle that we are presently in. I have a few more “Princess” sailing days than Paula so my Medallion is Ruby colored while Paula’s is Gold.

          She thinks it looks like Yellow and does not like it!

          We will attain the next two levels of this program while we are on board. Unfortunately, one is not eligible for the benefits of the next levels until the completion of the present voyage.

          Maybe I can make friends with the right people and at least get Paula the next color up while we are aboard.

You all will be the first to know 😊