Phantom Whispers

Part Two

I apologize for all the typos in yesterday’s post. I’m sure there will be more today. Sorry, I try to catch them but I’m trying to get this stuff out of my head more than I want to study it to make sure it is “perfect”.

It has come to my attention that some of you aren’t sure what a yurt is. It is a very cool round tent like structure with lattice sides which give it rigidity. The Mongolians have used them for years as in its traditional form it is also portable shelter.

I forgot to tell you about when we went to pay for the yurt, there were no check in the Mailman’s checkbook. Not a one. I have may checkbook with exactly one check left. All good if I only had enough money in my account to cover the cost, which I don’t. So now, I have to explain to this nice man that the check won’t be any good until Wednesday for the yurt we picked up on Friday.

So, we made it out to the property. The sun is setting. Quickly. We unload the yurt part onto our existing deck. Our friend, Ron, comes down from his place (we share the property) to help us unload. This is great and he has a flashlight, as well/ It’s pretty helpful as it is rapidly getting very dark. Everything is unload and on the deck when the Mailman asks about the tarp in the back of the car. Turns out it wasn’t the one he thought it was and isn’t large enough to cover our yurt parts for the winter. We plan on setting it up in the spring after we build a 20’ platform for it. We need to cover it to make it through the winter. Already the wind is blowing, strongly.

Ron goes back to his place to get something to cover lumber. It will be better than nothing and I am grateful for it as I just want to start back home. It’s getting later and later. While Ron is gone, the Mailman, our oldest son and I lay back and look at the stars. It is totally awesome. I forget each time how few stars I see in the city and am stunned anew.

Ron comes back with the cover and starts to tack it into place. But the Mailman has no misplaced the flashlight. We look everywhere. We didn’t find it. We convince Ron to accept our much smaller flashlight by way of apology. The cover gets tacked down but all of the yurt parts aren’t covered. But it is the best we can do for now. Maybe we’ll get back later in November to cover it all. We can only hope.

We borrow tools form Ron to change the headlight. By now we are all very careful about where things are placed and returning everything to the right spot. The headlight goes in without a problem and works. Yay!!!!!

So with hugs and apologies to Ron we leave for home. We stop once to eat. The Mailman does all the driving. We get back home at 2:00 in the morning.

Somehow, we fought through all the things and got it done. As a team we can do it. On my own I would have given up a few times. Many things went wrong but it all worked out. I know there is a moral there somewhere.

It went pear shaped

The Plan, part one

 

 

It seemed a simple idea. We’d rent a trailer in Wenatchee, drive to Orondo, load up the used yurt and drive to the property, unload the yurt and back home. Now, the property is about a five hour drive on a good day. Throw in some curve balls and it takes longer...a lot longer.

So, I got up early to work out, come home shower, have breakfast and pull the last minute stuff before we got on the road. It turned out that I was hustling from the time I woke up and I was barely able to fix myself a breakfast to eat in the care. While I as hustling away, the Mailman asked me to reserve a trailer. Whoa, maybe that would have been a good thing to do a day or two before. But no worries, I got one online. As we headed out of the house U-Haul called and said the trailer we wanted wouldn’t be available for the times we needed and that there weren’t any in Wenatchee. Uh oh.

I had thrust my breakfast into the Mailman’s hands to hold while I tried to get to my cell phone. Of course I missed the call but they called the Mailman on his cell phone and he set my breakfast down on the foot stool. Not a good move. Our dog was right on it. I got my breakfast away from his coned head (he had eye surgery, a whole other story) but not without messing up the stool upholstery.

We get in the car, I cram my breakfast down. I know it doesn’t sound like a big deal but since the diabetes diagnosis I know I have to eat at regular times, especially after working out. I ask if the Mailman has the phone number of the guy we are buying the yurt from. Nope, turn around and back home.

Back on the road, I try to set up a trailer rental with another place. Turns out that place had closed but I was hooked up with U-Haul central. They want to know what weight our trailer hitch is set up for. What??? We had to pull over to check that out so that we could rent the size trailer we needed. Now you know the mailman is thrilled to pull over. By now my breakfast isn’t settling so well. In fact I’m feeling sick to my stomach.

Turns out our hitch is rated just fine for the trailer we need. Hallelujah! After an hour on the road and more phone calls that I ever want to make again we have a trailer lined up. Let this be a lesson. Always reserve you trailer at least two days ahead, especially on a Friday as the weekend is prime moving time. Well, duh…..should have thought of that.

Okay, we get our trailer (finally) and off to find the man with the yurt. An hour later we’re in the right area but turns out the mailman doesn’t really remember the place like he thought. Frantic phone calls ensue, of course not going through, cell phone issues. The Mailman is pulling into places and asking if they know this guy. Seriously? Really? Do I know our neighbors well enough to tell you who lives where? Nope. So why should these folks. After an hour or so of this fun I convince the Mailman that we should try and find a payphone. We go to a gas station and his cell phone works… Thank Heavens.

The guy met us at the gas station and we follow him with to his place. We load up the yurt parts, me ticking off the parts as we go, trying to make sure everything is there. As it is, it just fit on the trailer. By now it is three in the afternoon and we’ve been on the road since 8:30 am. There is at least another 2 1/2 hours of driving to get to the property. So much for unloading in daylight. We head out to the property and are stopped by a policeman. One of our headlights is out. Great. At least we have the spare bulb in the car because when we had to replace the other one a few weeks ago, I convinced the Mailman not to change both because why fix something that isn’t broken. Lesson two: change both the headlight bulbs at the same time. They will bulb out close together. Might as well get it done.

I'll continue with the rest tomorrow.  Promise.