The preparation continues

T-4 days.

Mickey still hasn’t shown up. At least it’s not the freezing temperatures that it had been a few nights ago, but all the same, he’s an older cat with thyroid issues. It doesn’t stop him from hunting, though. He’s fully capable of hunting down his meals, even missing a tooth.

I’m still holding out hope that he’ll show up before I leave for Klamath Falls.

At 11 a.m., a gentleman is showing up to look at the Honda. Hopefully, he’ll leave with the car and I’ll have a couple grand in hand. It would go a long way toward making the move more smooth.

We still haven’t found a place to buy that is in our budget and will take VA financing. They’re out there, but they go fast right now in Oregon. My agent says that the inventory usually increases in the Spring, with warmer weather, but I’m also reading real estate articles that the market in Oregon is likely to get worse, not better.

Which leads me to the secondary plan. Rent a house or apartment. I’ve applied to two places in the last month, but have heard nothing back from the rental agencies. It doesn’t need to be fancy. It doesn’t need to be big, in the short term; maybe only a one-bedroom or studio, just a place to sleep between trips back to California. So far, nada.

So, in the meantime, I have a reservation for two weeks in a Motel 6. Not the optimal solution to housing while starting a new job, but it’s going to have to do. Honestly, though, it does add to the feeling of adventure. Motel 6 isn’t a glamorous place to stay, but it’s designed to business travelers, and if I’m not traveling for business, then I don’t know what I’m doing.

I am looking forward to exploring a new city, finding new restaurants, and meeting new people. While the lead up to leaving is fraught with emotional turmoil, I’m also getting to realize a dream of living outside California and of traveling to places I have never been.

If I’m not careful, I’m liable to turn into an early 20th century British novelist.