LAST DAYS

From here on out posts to this blog will be sporadic.

My computer will be disassembled and put in a box not long after I'm through typing this. As I get used to the traveler life I hope to set some kind of a schedule where I will update this blog on a certain day each week. I just don't see how I'm going to be able to update it every day and I think that once a week will be tough. Speaking of tough...

It's been a long couple of months and I'm ready for my adventure to begin. What am I saying? It's been an big adventure from the time I lost my job. And to think that I have been unemployed for almost 3 months... unbelievable.

I still have lots and lots to do, I'm knackered and ready for a long rest, but not until I'm outta here. Get ready Maui baby, here comes Thom!

It's The Magic Number
I'm down to my computer, printer, table, chair, 1 chair in the dining room, and the dining table, my bed, TV, DVD player, alarm clock, bed side lamp, telephone in bedroom and living room, a radio in the kitchen, and a pile of stuff to go to storage. It's crunch time kids and I'm having little stress attacks here and there hoping beyond hope that I get all my shit out of this house before Friday. GAH!

Quote of the day: "It's okay man. We'll get you out of there on time, don't worry." Douglas B.

A Successful Yard Sale!

All I really wanted out of my yard sale was to get enough cash to pay off my Macy's bill and I almost tripled that amount.

Lesson's From a Yard Sale:

1) People will arrive early and there is just is no stopping them. I say, that if people want to buy stuff early and they have the money and there is no dickering then sell it. Don't wait.

2) Fridays and Saturdays are better than Sundays for sale days. 75% of all sales happened on the Friday I was preparing the sale (mostly from friends, neighbors, and friends of friends) and that Saturday.

3) Have all items price marked. Group or bag up items and sell them as sets. For example you'll get rid of 3 for $5 more than you'll get rid of $1.50 each, plus you get rid of 3 things and getting rid of things is what it is all about.

4) Cash only. Even from friends. Don't even fuck with checks. Who needs the extra hassle.

5) If it's not for sale (including the tables) put a "Not For Sale" sticker on it.

6) Pre-arrange for a pickup of the items you will be giving to a charity after the sale (Goodwill, St. Vinnies, etc.).

7) Get help. Lots of help. I had 5 adults and 2 kids, they were 10 and 12 years old, to help and I could have used more.

8) Get some change to make change. I started with a roll of quarters, dimes, and nickels, $25 in ones, $40 in fives.

9) Take large bills out of the cash box frequently and move them inside your home. I only left enough in the cash box to change a fifty.

10) Continually move things around to change the appearance and consolidation of items. Keep clothes folded and arranged or on hangers.

11) All Sales Final. I got caught on this one. I had an older color TV from about 1990 that worked fine, I used it almost every day. A guy bought it and then brought it back saying it didn't work. I told him that if the TV turned on at my house it was his and the deal was done, but of course it didn't work. I lost a twenty dollar sale.

12) It's a lot of work. I was really really tired come Sunday night. Plan for a nice hot tub, a couple of cold adult beverages, and nice cigar for winding down.

6...

Yard Sale Day

Come on out and buy some of my crap!















PLEASE!

Quote of the day: "I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're going and hook up with them later." - Mitch Hedberg

7...


Good for you.

Ever since I made the decision to sell my house and go for a long journey I've heard nothing but positive comments (except for few but they were looking out for me). If it is something that you might consider I highly recommend it. There is something very freeing about looking at your house full of shit and saying "What won't fit into a 10 x 10 storage unit is gone."

It was also good to read/hear that I am not the only lunatic out there who has lost or quit their job, sold the house, and is taking off for parts unknown. If I can do it, then you can do it. I did it on my own (no wife or girlfriend) with much much support from family and friends who have been invaluable to me through this whole process. Do it.

I'm also learning that many travelers or "backpackers" can live very frugally. I was just chatting with an online acquaintance (hi gonorth!) regarding how much it would cost a day, on the cheap, to travel in Australia and New Zealand. He says that it can be done for as little as $40 a day if you don't eat out at restaurants but instead cook your own food and eat fruits and veg, and loaf of bread will last quite a while with a jar of vegimite or peanut butter. I don't know if I want to travel that cheaply, but it's good to know that I could travel that cheaply if I choose to.

Quote of the day: "All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you." - Frodo Baggins from LOTR movie.

8...

About getting ready for travel.

-It ain't cheap. I don't care what people might say, but so far I've found that travel can cost quite a lot.

-If you are going to a foreign country(ies) plan in advance and get your visa(s). I didn't even know the difference between a visa and a passport when I started my "plans" for travel. If you want to stay a while or work your way around, get both way in advance.



-You cannot travel around just to travel around and stay for as long as you like. Many countries allow you to stay from 30 to 90 days with only a passport, but you must also prove that you have an onward ticket. At least this is the case in the Australasia part of the world.

-There are a ton of helpful people and businesses out there to guide you through your travels and journeys, just ask for help and you will get it.

Quote of the day: Leap and the net will appear. -unknown

9...

From the book Vagabonding by Rolf Potts:
"Don't set limits on what you can or can't do. Don't set limits on what is or isn't worthy of your time. Dare yourself to "play games" with your day: watch, wait, listen; allow things to happen. Wherever you are, be it the Vatican gift shop, a jungle village in Panama, or downtown Ouagadougou-keep aware of the tiniest tics and details that surround you. As Dean MacCannell pointed out, "Anything that is remarked, even little flowers or leaves picked up off the ground and shown to a child, even a shoeshine or gravel pit, anything is potentially an attraction... Sometimes we have official guides and travelogues to assist us in this point. Usually we are on our own. How else do we know another person except as an ensemble of suggestions hollowed out from the universe of possible suggestions? How else do we begin to know the world?" In this way, vagabonding is like a pilgrimage without a specific destination or goal-not a quest for answers so much as a celebration of the questions, an embrace of the ambiguous, and an openness to anything that comes your way. Indeed, if you set off on down the road with specific agendas and goals, you will at best discover the pleasure of actualizing them. But if you wander with open eyes and simple curiosity, you'll discover a much richer pleasure-the simple feeling of possibility that hums from every direction as you move from place to place."

Skiing in Dubai

When money is no object create your own indoor ski resort.

T-Minus 10...

Putting on a yard sale is no easy feat. First you have to decide if you want to sell it then you have to price it then you have to organize it and then you need to advertise it and then you need to get friends to help you with it. Hopefully I'll make enough money off of my stuff to stay on the road another day or two, or just enough to pay off my Macy's credit card. That would be sweet!

11 Days and Counting

I only have 11 days left to live in my home. Then I will be homeless and jobless and soon after that in another state and then another country. I'm getting really excited now. All that's left to do is make sure that everything that I want to sell is ready to sell and put on a yard sale this weekend. That is going to be very interesting and full of flaky people wanting to haggle with me for a dollar off my belongings. I'm doing my best to pare down from a 4 bedroom house to a 10 by 10 storage unit and one lone carry-on.

Last night I put everything that I plan to take with me on my trip into the one bag and found that it is very full and heavy. I bet it weighs in at around 35 pounds. But when you consider that this bag will keep all of the items that I will need for a months long journey I don't think that it's too much of a load. I actually think I'm going to be getting rid of some of the stuff along the way. I still need room for other things like gifts from Ellensburg and things I'd like to take home with me.

Anything that won't fit I'll have to send to my parents house. My Mom and Dad would like to see new and interesting things come to them in the mail from far away places.

Travel Links


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Reality Check

Know any Cheap Places to Stay in Hawaii? (Maui prefered)


I plan to stay in hostels and cheap hotels. Please post a comment. Thanks.

Ticket to Maui Confirmed!



I will leave for Maui on April 5, 2006. I fly out of SeaTac at 7 A. Freakin' M. in the morning, but will arrive in Maui at around n00n. He he.

Dick, Kill! Unnnngh!!

Read Across America

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to read to a classroom or 6th graders for Read Across America on March 3, 2006. I read a selection from "Cannery Row" by John Stienbeck, where the boys go and get frogs for Doc. This is one of those scenes that sticks in your head. The kind that to this day whenever I see a large amount of frogs I think of that frog catching scene.

There is a certain great something that happens when you read to kids. I would love to read to kids more often to see their eyes light up or hear them squirm when I read a particularly squirmy part. The teacher, Mr. Dwight, said many times how much he and the kids enjoyed me being there. It made me feel really good and I enjoyed it immensely. Here is an e-mail thread with Mr. Dwight that really put a capper on it all.


Thom:
When might you be leaving town? Is there a physical address that we can send correspondence to?
Thanks again!
The kids really enjoyed you last week!
Mr. Dwight
______________________


Hey Mr. Dwight,

I'll be leaving town probably April 2 or so. I'll be at my current address until March 30.


Thom XXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXX

Ellensburg



After the 30th, you can send stuff to my parents house;


XXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXX



Thanks for the kind words I really enjoyed doing it. It was a lot of fun and would love to do it again.



Thom

___________________________________________



I will file your parents address with the Read Across America Day info I have and send you a letter of info next year and in the years to come. If you are in the states, cool.

Appreciated everything! That was more fun for me than Christmas! (not joking)

Mr. Dwight

Got My Shots Today

Let's see here, I got one for Polio (ouch), one for Hepatitis A (ouch) and I have to have another after 6 months but no longer than a year, one for Hepatitis B (ouch) and these shots are in a series, one now then one for the next 3 weeks (future ouches), one for Measles, Mumps, and Rubella, (big OUCH, that one really hurt). Plus I got lots of drugs.

Diarrhea is almost certain for travelers. The good Dr. Bracchi told me the best way to get rid of diarrhea is to take Immodiam AD (an excellent over the counter drug) plus 2, 750 mg of Ciprofloxin once and 1 tablet of Azithromycin (really expensive) once and this will make any bout of diarrhea a 6 to 8 hour ordeal instead of a 2 to 3 day ordeal.



I was also subscribed Doxycycline Hyclate for Malaria. This lovely green pill must be taken 1 day before you enter into any area where Malaria is active, which is most of the Pacific Rim; New Guinea, Thailand, etc. in other words most of the places I'll probably visit, and then it must be continuously taken while in that area and then for 28 days after leaving a Malaria zone. Here's the great part about this drug, it only stops the Malaria virus from multiplying in your body. Basically health "officials" believe that you will get Malaria this is just to keep it from spreading in your body. Isn't that niiiiice... Couldn't I just take some Asprin and drink a beer? It worked throughout college.

Cool Travel Towel

I already told you about the towel. Well now I'm showing it off. It's made by MSR. I've used this towel two times. Once after taking a bath, so I just needed to dry my body, and the other was after a shower so I needed to dry my hair (which I have a lot of right now) and my body. It sucks up the water faster than me at 3 A.M. after a night of drinking (mmm drinking). That's fast. However with my hair being so long it just couldn't handle that much water and my hair was left still very wet but not dripping.
Not only is this the size of a regular bath towel but it folds up to such a tiny size and it weighs next to nothing and it comes with it's own pouch. The back of it is mesh so that if it's not quite dry by the time you are ready to go you can still put it in the pouch to dry, which takes no time at all.The first time I let it dry over night and it was dry by morning. The second time I let it dry during the daytime and it was completely dry when I went to check it after 4 hours. Like I said, it dries fast.

On another note I hurt my back the other morning while putting on my pants. If there is one thing that I am worried about before my travel begins it's what will I do when I tweak my back? According to my chiropractor (Hi Dr. Shaw!) there isn't much I could do besides put ice on the spinal region where the pain is originating and trying to stretch out and be as careful as possible. Oh boy I love being careful.

Cool Travel Gear Cometh
Now I'm getting my stuff ready to travel. I've got a great travel bag. It's the largest legal size carry-on, soft sided bag. It is compartmentalized and has a top and side handle as well as back pack straps. It's made by Jansport and it rocks. I thought I knew about some travel gear as I had a job that required a lot of travel, all within the U.S., but not until you really start getting into travel gear do you realize how cool some of this stuff is. I've really come to understand the meaning of, as my buddy Coho says "how small does it get and how many things does it do."

I just bought a full size bath towel that folds up to about the size of my fist and is quick drying. That is cool. Also, if you haven't seen this fold flat stuff from Orikaso
you've got to check it out. One day I'll take out everything that is going into my travel bag and do a before and after, just so you can see how much crap I'm able to put into that carryon. I'm impressed. You will be impressed too. Look into my eyes...

Things I Learned By Selling My Own Home (Up To Now)


1. Have a contract ready. Find a good one on-line and tweak it.
2. Line up a title company and keep in touch with them. They work for you.
3. Be the one in charge of the situation. You have what they want. Sure you want their money, but ultimately it's your deal.
4. Know what makes up "closing costs".
5. Get 2 home appraisals.
6. Get to know the current market by checking out other homes in the area that are the same price range, size, and condition of house.
7. Pay for a home inspection yourself. What you think you know about your house is just that. Know about your house. A home inspection pays off every time.
8. Stay and watch and follow all home inspections and contractors etc. who will be going through your home.
9. Don't be afraid to say no to an offer at any time. There will be other buyers.
10. It is very stressful and that is okay. Find ways to relax; get a massage, go for bike rides. Drinking and smoking more are perfectly acceptable.
11. During negotiations it is a lot like poker. Call a bluff here and there or bluff some yourself. As in poker the aggressor is rewarded most often.
12. When the deal is done, be happy. You did the best you could and you are better for it financially and in personal growth.

Negotiations Completed!
















We settled on a price for all the "issues" that the home inspector found (*read with a sneer* thank you His). But mostly thank GOD! that is over with. Let me tell you something (as if I haven't been telling you something already), that was the most stressful time ever in my life and I waited 38 years to get there. I guess that ain't so bad.

Here's the play by play: I told him I would split the amount of money that he thought he should get for needed repairs (four-grand). He replied with I gotta have at least 3/4 of that money to fix the wiring in the home and that's my final offer. So now there is a mere $1500 between us. Either I give or he gives. So I talked it over with family and friends. The piece of advice I took from brother Scott. He said, well are you going to let $1500 stand between selling the house now and going through this again? So I gave.

By the way, I'm making an absolute killing on this deal. But the nagging question is could have I gotten a better deal with a Real Estate Agent? That was really my bottom line. If I sold my house for X then an agent would have gotten Y and I would have gotten a hell of a lot less money in my pocket. So overall, I'm pleased with the deal but not ecstatic. Right now I'm just really really really really happy that the big stress is over. Now I'm on to a new stress. Trying to fit all my stuff into a 10' x 10' storage unit.

The cool thing is that I think I'm going to be able to do it. I see what I'm taking, and although these are spread throughout the house I can picture how much space I've got. I taped off a 10' x 10' section in my living room and that's the staging area. The only big things that I'm taking are my couch, the bed, 3 chairs, and the dining table. Where is a shrinking ray when you need one?

Next up; "Things I Learned By Selling My Own Home"

No, no, I'm not stressed out. ME??!!

I sent my response to the buyers response to the home inspection. I am so stressed out right now it's not EVEN FUNNY! I can feel my heart beating in my chest every time I think about this deal.

I think, "Will he accept my counter?"
*thu-dump thu-dump*
"What if he declines?"
*thu-DUMP thu-DUMP*
"Then I'll have to go through this hell all over again."
*THU-DUMP THU-DUMP THUDUMPTHUDUMPTHUDUMP* GAAHHH!

I need alcohol, drugs, and a cigar STAT!

Stress Is Fun

Jesus-H-Flipping-Christ I slept like shit last night. I think I got maybe 4 hours of sleepy time. Hellooo... Mr. Sandman! Thom needs some sleep.

Selling a home or buying a home is stressful, but doing it yourself is even more stressful because you don't have a Real Estate Agent to get advice from or push your stress onto. I was stressing out about how to handle this ordeal with the buyer wanting four-fucking-grand for "repairs". It's an 80 year old house dude, live with it. At least that's what I want to say. I am having a whole new appreciation for people in the sales business or who negotiate things for a living, like Real Estate Agents. I'm having a hard time seeing the "fun" of negotiations, but I definitely see the value in knowing how to do it and do it well.

And another thing. Did you know that it is next to impossible to get home owners insurance if your home has, what is know as, "knob and tube" electrical wiring? Seriously, there are people out there with some horror stories about not being able to get home owners' insurance. I think it's another racket.

I am discovering that the insurance industry is a huge racket. They put a premium on a home, a car, a life, and then they decide what worth it has to the rest of society. Here's to you Mr. & Mrs. Insurance Companies!