In just a few hours, Hubby and I will be signing paperwork which will make this our new home.

Then the work will begin. I'll be dropping off 8 gallons of paint along with all the necessary rollers, brushes, trays, tape, drop cloths and rags this afternoon. First thing in the morning I'll apply first bits of color to the white walls that are throughout.
We'll continue eat and sleep at The Pad until our appliances are delivered and all our stuff makes its journey from California. Speaking of those appliances - I'll be having a major Pretty Woman moment very soon.
I don't think I'm alone in daydreams of all new appliances. Even before this move came about, I had spent time looking at refrigerators, ranges, washers and dryers, etc. Hubby and I have spent the last weeks reading reviews, checking specs and measurements knowing purchases would need to be made. This past Saturday was the day to make all the purchases and arrange for delivery.
Imagine our surprise when we ended up with a salesman that was really not interested in the slightest to make this sale. We introduced ourselves, explained clearly the purchases we intended to make and provided him the information on each piece. He didn't need to 'sell' us a thing - only write up the ticket and collect his commission. He informed us that he was the 'expert' and things went downhill from there.
He had no ability to focus. He stopped mid-transaction to help another couple with their purchase. Not answer a quick question or find another person to help them, but to actually assist them in their purchase. When he remembered we were waiting, he returned to the sales desk only to excuse himself to go visit with another employee in another department. He came back with his friend and once again informed us with a wide smile that he is the expert in appliance sales.
Finally it looked like we were finally going to make our transaction. He offered us a delivery date that is more than two weeks in the future. No need to deliver what was in stock when we could just wait for everything. We informed him (again) that we NEED the appliances in order to begin living in our home. This tidbit seemed completely lost on him. We thanked him for his time and walked out.
Yesterday we went to a new retailer to make our purchases. A difference of night and day. The salesman was friendly, helpful and efficient. Not everything is currently in stock, but delivery will be made as items become available allowing us to begin setting up our home right away. We have to return tomorrow to make the last purchase of a range. Once I'm armed with all of my receipts, I'll be returning to the first store for a visit with the supervisor of 'The Expert.' It's important they know just what they lost, not only in this current sale but also future sales. I'll surely not be shopping with them again.
I know I'm going to be very busy the next couple of weeks. Posts will be few and far between, blog reading and commenting will be nearly non-existent. Hang in there with me one more time. I'll be back soon with plenty of stories and lots of pictures.
Oh and one more thing - Congratulations to the Little League World Series Champions from Chula Vista, California! It's such fun to watch sports events that are played simply for the love of the game.

Small triumphs have been occurring around here. They started yesterday when I finally got the suction cup our recently purchased GPS to stick to something (anything) on the dash. Trust me when I say that was more difficult than programming the thing to my desired destination.
And where was that destination? A quilt shop, of course.
It felt like a little slice of heaven. So many samples, patterns, fabrics, kits - all the accoutrement necessary to inspire. And that is just what happened to me. I saw a sample near the door made using a charm pack and some background fabric - no pattern necessary. Knowing I had a little background fabric tucked away with my sewing machine, I selected a charm pack and hurried back to The Pad to get started.
The rest of the afternoon happily making little snowball blocks. This morning they were all assembled into a top. I even put on a back (no batt,) did some simple ditch quilting, and added binding. Ta da.
I can't remember the last time I sat at my machine and sewed, at least two months. It really was fun and I haven't gotten to stitch down the binding - my favorite part.
The success of that trip inspired me anew today. I headed out to a farmer's market. Look at all the goodies that came back to The Pad with me. Looks like we'll be eatin' high on the hog this weekend. After two weeks of being totally lost and confused most of the time, it feels a little more like home to visit places that seem so familiar.

Just about this time last week, it seemed like the whole world had turned upside down.
I could barely find my way out of the parking lot here at the 'Pad' never mind getting to a grocery store. Add to that a quick onset and very unpleasant upset stomach, and I was really wondering why I thought this move was such a good idea.
Things are starting to look a little better and brighter now. Wouldn't you feel better about life if this delicious little quilt showed up in your temporary PO Box?
Julie In The Barn made this little surprise for me. I can hardly wait to find the perfect place to display it in our new home. I've got plans for a wall filled with mini quilts in my quilting room. Yes, you've read that right - I'm going to have a room for all things quilting. No more tucking supplies here and there all around the house.
I also enjoyed a little online retail therapy. The first shipment arrived yesterday. A new pair of honest-to-goodness closed toed shoes.
I'm guessing that maybe they are not the most sensible selection I could have made for winter footwear. But since I won't be able to wear flip flops much longer, I'd better start getting used to encasing my little piggies in something. A girl's gotta start somewhere.

Can you believe it? We've been here for more than week. Time does fly - even in the Bachelor Pad. Surely it's time to finish up with the road trip.
This is what we saw at the point we calculated to be the halfway point. We were crossing Beaver Creek in Nebraska.
Just a few points of interest in Iowa - the World's Largest Truck Stop, a rest stop dedicated to quilt blocks, one of the many silos and a skyline view of Des Moines.And a few things from Illinois. We really loved the barns and silos all across the Midwest. We took note of the birthplace and hometown of Ronald Reagan. These museums were likely not dog friendly, but places to visit at another time. Another place to visit on another trip is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Perhaps we can combine this with a trip to Cooperstown. With both now in the same time zone, it's a trip we should be able to easily accomplish.
Our last stop before Massachusetts was Niagara Falls. We were so happy to learn that the park was dog friendly. Still some parts were not open to Harper. I cannot say that I am one bit disappointed that we did not see the view these folks got. Frankly, they just look miserable.We were able to enjoy many other views of the falls - all while staying perfectly dry.
It was quite an amazing trip. There's a lot of countryside out there to see.

Things are settling into a routine here at The Bachelor Pad. I finally got all the pictures from the drive off the computer and somewhat organized. We really did cover a lot of country and every place has its own very distinct look.
Utah had the most interesting rock formations.
These mesas were all lined up looking a little like ships pulled into port.
Our views changed dramatically as we gained elevation in Colorado. This is the countryside I could look at forever.
Soon enough we were out of the high country and headed toward the plains. I'm already looking forward to having a windmill in our new garden.We traveled with our very own 'breakfast bar.'
Every morning, we bellied up to the bar over a biscuit and coffee, chatting about how far we would drive and what we might see that day.
In Ogallala, NE we stopped to visit the Pony Express Station Museum.And also the Sod House Museum.I'll save the second half of the country for next time.
I've quickly realized I'm going to be learning my way around here for a good bit of time. Some days I'm not even sure I know which way is up. Over the weekend, Hubby and I took several exploratory trips out and about. While visiting one of the home improvement centers, I picked up some paint chips.
I don't want to just run out and get the exact same shades we had in the old house. Still it's easy to see that we like what we like - looks like we won't be straying too far.
On my first solo trip, I picked up a handful of magazines to get some decorating ideas.
While it was hard to leave behind some of the things we had done in our California home, we will be starting with a blank slate once again. I can hardly wait to get started.
In the meantime, I'm going to make some time for needle and thread today. I think I'll work on a diamond or two for the Martha Washington's Flower Garden.
Poor Martha has been neglected for far too long.

Harper's Cross Country Adventure.
Day 1 - She quickly snuggled in for a nap. The gentle vibration of going down the road must have felt like the 'Magic Fingers' massage that used to cost a quarter in motels all across the country.
Day 2 and 3 - Hey this riding in the car is fun! We are stopping in the most interesting places. I've seen my first river, checked out some corn fields, visited a couple of dog-friendly museums. We ate lunch at a place called Sonic - the nice fella that brought food to our truck also brought Milk Bone dog treats for me! A girl could get used to this.
Day 4 - We enjoyed a couple of hours at a very nice, dog friendly park called Niagara Falls. Besides seeing my first waterfalls, we got to take a nice walk around the park. After I stretched my legs, it was enjoyable to rest in the cool shade of a tree and watch the people go by.
Day 5 - Are you kidding me? Are ever going to stop riding around in this truck? I've seen enough. I want to go home!
At last the driving has stopped. We are staying in Dad's 'bachelor pad.' I don't know what that means. Even with my cushion, some toys and quilts, this doesn't quite seem like home. I'm keeping my paws crossed that we are home soon.

We made it!
3,100 miles, twelve new states in five and a half days, and a little bit of sightseeing all ended when we arrived at our destination a little before noon today.
Thank you all for the well wishes as we began our journey. Hubby was the 'keeper of the comments' during the trip reading each from his blackberry every morning on the road. He was also charged with being the 'Official Blogtographer' for the trip. I hope to download the many pictures that he took along the way later today.
Did you know there is a LOT of corn out there in the heartland? Miles and miles and miles and miles of corn. There's a soybean field thrown in every-now-and-again for good measure but corn is what is clearly keeping this country afloat.
Over the next few days I'll try to share some of what we saw and catch up with reading all that you have been up to - over 200 posts in my Google Reader. I may not leave a comment every place I visit, but know that I'm reading every word. There's still a lot of work to be done here. We cannot stay here in Hubby's bachelor pad indefinitely.

Six weeks ago, I shared this photo as we prepared to put our house up for sale.
This morning we took one last look around the place we called home for 15 years before we locked the door front door one last time.The Princess says that it was losing its charm as we took out all of our things. It sure did look small once it was empty. We've left a blank slate for the new family. It's a great house - I hope they are as happy there as we have been.
The next time you hear from me, I'll be on the other side of the country. Stay tuned. Lot of new adventure to be shared.

Look who has the best seat in the house.Our weather has been almost oppressive with the high humidity. Of course none of that is helped by all the work to be done in preparation for our move. Filling, taping and moving boxes just feels extra sweaty when there is so much moisture in the air.
Just take a peek at the kitchen.
Every cabinet, shelf and drawer is now empty. All that's left are a few things I plan to carry with me to get started at the other end.
Or in the case of this little gem - get me going these last few mornings.
This is my mom's coffee percolator. She made her coffee every morning all my growing up years. She knew just the right amount to enjoy a cup first thing in the morning then fill a thermos that she carried to work. There was never a drop wasted.
By the time I became a coffee drinker, she had retired from work and switched to drinking instant. I never learned from her the right proportions for making the perfect cup. Today's maiden voyage was a little strong and a little gritty. I'll do better tomorrow. By the time I have my drip coffee maker back on the counter, I may not want to switch back.