Emptying The Nest and Hitting The Road

 

Today is the day.  This photo above is our final farewell to the valley I called home for the last 50 years.  The next 50 look pretty bright with my co-pilot for life.  The packing and loading would not have gone as well as it did without the early assistance of my brother-in-law Cory and the sweat and hard work of my sister-in-law Kelly and nephew Jake.  Although we thought we would have more than enough room, we did not.  A last minute save came from our neighbor Roy.  We were unable to get our BBQ, lawnmower and many last minute big items in and he took them off our hands.  We were at wits end and he made it happen.  I hope he can use the items or sell them and make some cash.

It was a tough day as beyond the loading of things, our baby bird flew the nest.  David is growing with his job (recently promoted internally) and has a relationship he wants to stay and build on.  This wasn't easy but I'm so freaking proud of him and the man he's become.  I know he is meant to do great things in this life and he is well on his way.  It is just going to be tough not having him close.

You can see how tightly packed the trailer was in the photo of Jake and David.  There were some tearful goodbye's.  It was really hard on Kerry but I also know she has been ready to leave for awhile.  The gameplan is to make it into Albuquerque, New Mexico tonight if all goes well.  I feel like we got away with something because there were so many ways for this to not happen or happen within our timeline.  Wish us luck and send a prayer or two.

 

 

Farewell Las Vegas

 

It has been a flurry of packing and arranging with a few breaks inbetween.  We started loading the moving trailer today after my last physical day at work.  My co-workers came out tonight to the Crown & Anchor not far from the big green monster and had some food and drinks.  I also dragged my wife's family with me as it was the last we would see some of them although two of them are helping during the move.  We had a great time and stayed long enough to take a few waves of photos.  I know we missed photos of several others but this was really nice and a preserved memory.

I have always loved the food and have some great memories of the place.  So it was a farewell to Crown & Anchor as well.  I couldn't have worked with a better staff and in my resignation letter I urged the department head to keep this family together and strong.  They are a special crew and I have amazing memories with each and every one of them.  I'm blessed to have known you and I've become a better person in your presence because of your presence in my life.

Yes, I think you now know what I mean by feeling overwhelmed.  It is going up somewhere that I will be able to look at it often.  They are pretty amazing friends and I'm going to miss them.  Thank you for everything.

Long Goodbyes And Signs

 

It isn't easy to announce that you are leaving when you have 3 months before leaving a job that you've had for almost 3 decades.  Heck, it's hard to tell family that you plan to leave the area after 5 decades as well.  I let just a few people know early on.  The timing was odd as a co-worker had recently passed away, another was announcing his retirement and one out fighting cancer.  And (on the family side) I mentioned my brother moving back to town which was giving my mother the idea that all her family was now going to be close again.  We decided in early April to move and I was more forthcoming about it by the end of May and June was openly talking about it.  There was a wide range of shock as I was never someone that mentioned wanting to leave the Las Vegas valley.

Long goodbyes are tough.  If you are at a party and an hour in you walk around mentioning that you are going to leave and then you are still there hours later, those people you told spend those hours thinking every time they see you "he's leaving soon" and may start wondering why you are still there.  That was the last thing I wanted.  I actually had someone tell me how hard it was to see me because they knew that I was soon not going to be there.  Life is weird like that.

So it suprised me when I walked around the corner during work and saw someone writing on something.  It seems that my friend Tony talked to another friend Don about painting a Raider logo on a framed canvas and my co-workers were writing farewell notes on it.  I don't think I've ever been emotionally hit like that at work.  I love the crew that I work with and it may be the hardest part of leaving.  So, I slyly took a picture of it and put it aside for now.  I know that I'll be staring at it often once I move.

Hennessy Clearing House

 

Very busy.  It just so happens that our HOA community has their only designated date for yard sales this week.  Of course, this is great timing as we are looking at things and wondering... do we want to bring this all the way to Texas with us?  That is the case with this futon.  We printed some photos and put it on OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace but I guess I'm not too worried about how it ends.  Kerry has been dying to move on from our sectional, the treadmill and dining table.  We are listing things individually and letting people know to come and get it during the garage sale.  Kind of like reeling in extra customers.

The home walk through went well.  I started guess my trying to drain the water heater wasn't the best idea because the sign of some water here at the bottom of the pan got them concerned.  This was an updated photo he asked me to take to ensure it wasn't leaking.  Crazy thing is that ever since then, the pipes started squeaking.  I heard it could be air bubbles in the tank that need to be released etc.

Speaking of water, I got a few texts talking about excessive water use.  I'm hoping that Ryan Reeves isn't at my door.  Seems like spam or they would just call or write.  Very strange.

 

Post-Trip Considerations And Fetching Offers

 

Just a pleasant day hanging out with the dogs.  We missed these girls on our trip.  Thankfully, David took good care of them.  I don't know if they get more possessive after we've been gone or not.  Hope the snuggles make up for it.

I figured that I should fill you in on what has been going on since the flight back from Texas.  Well, we had several delays due to miscommunication from the airline we took.  This left us with way too much time on our hands (like more than half a day at just one of the terminals.)  Kelly and Greg were browsing online job prospects in Texas.  And, I can't say I blame them.  It's beautiful out here and, for us, it is going from a metropolis of over 3 million to a county (Bell) that in 2020 had just over 153,000.  I have to admit, we even looked at home prices and jobs in the area.

Walking the dogs later that week we saw several homes in our development up for sale.  There is something human about comparison and, when you see a home that looks like yours nearby for sale, you get curious as to how much they are selling it for.  Anyhow, then during one of our cuddle sessions with the dogs in front of the TV, a commercial comes on for OfferPad about finding out how much they would offer for your home.  Kerry and I looked at each other and said, "What can it hurt to find out?"

The gears that were slowly digesting the idea just a few weeks ago started moving a little more.  And the offer we received -- was for more than that other house (that I think was renovated more recently.)  We suddenly had to seriously consider things.  Kerry's job gives her the ability to continue working remotely.  I know that Kerry would like to move but, with all my family here in Vegas, she would never ask me to relocate.  I would have to make a career change but the physical wear on my body was not going to improve.  The benefits of small town life, David having a steady job and already looking to move out...maybe using the equity in our home while the market is exploding would be the smart thing to do.

I would say we took days to contemplate it and weighed the possibilities but I think we were on the doorstep before we called to ask about our home's value to the buyer.  We cleaned up a little, let them come and do an inspection of the home and decided to do it.  When asked if we wanted a 30-day, 60-day or even a 90-day close of escrow, we went for the latter.  It will give us time to maybe get rid of some stuff, gain some paid time off from work and organize ourselves.  Looks like these dogs are getting a new home.

Raider Day

 

Had a great day today.  First, I have to thank my friend Tony for these tickets.  These are his seats and view of the field at the new Allegiant Stadium (or what I like to call The AL.)  Parking wasn't crazy but, then again, tickets were only available to PSL holders.  Just behind us is a really good Mexican place called BBQ Mexicana.  That smoked brisket burrito is amazing.  They need to open some locations in town.

This was my favorite photo that I took that day.  Had some fans show up dressed like Chucky but this one watching Coach Gruden walk onto the field was just amazing timing.

You might be saying, "Hey, Martin!  Stop perving on the cheerleaders!"  But, the reason for the photo is to show off how amazing that screen is.  See the little people below it in the seats.  That's a massive screen!

Overall, we had a great time.  I got to see how crazy a practice can be in the lead-up to roster cuts and making the team.   I'd definitely do this again.

Rocking Out Behind The Keyboard

I've mentioned my history with music before this on the show as well as in print but sometimes your past comes back to bite you in the butt.  Ok, maybe...flick you on the ear.  These were good times.  I was a member of, Fak-Shen, a local band with a few songs on rotation locally and we had a nice following.  Someone out there probably even has a rare cassette from us.  Brian, Mike and myself had known each other as friends for years prior and were pre-AOL technophiles that would get together weekly.

Performing and setup can be a great test for an electronically structured group.  We had our mishaps like most bands.  Then there was a multimedia showcase called Mr. Bondi's Soundhouse held at Fremont Street Reggae & Blues that we were part of on Feb. 21, 1995.  The idea was that we'd play about 3 songs or so and they would film it.  So, what you see is a part of one of our songs with some playful editing by visual artist Anthony Bondi.  Definitely dark video for a not-so-upbeat song but understandably a reason for them to play with video effects.

I remember us getting a single copy of it later but have no idea who ended up with it or where it wound up.  So it was a welcome treat to see Mike send this to me this morning.  We can trick ourselves as we get older.  When you list your accomplishments, you may omit some things or embellish others.  Yet, sometimes it's just nice to have proof of your past.

Silver And Black Possibilities

I was going to go on a long diatribe about the history of the Raiders moving and the desire to have a stadium without a dirt in-field and unpainted concrete walls.  It just doesn't seem right.  What is weird is having a carrot dangled in front of you.  Just the idea of my team moving to my town is a bit crazy.  Think about it yourself for a moment.  Let's just say that your favorite team (which has a long history but problems with a current and foreseeable business dilemma) mentions where you live as a possible landing spot.  I admit to a lot of denial early on.  With the roller coaster the team has been on with moving, it would have been worse if I got excited about it.  But, I guess things are looking good.  We are hours away from the vote by the NFL owners on the relocation.

Having a good season made for an exciting year as a fan but also to see the excitement of my wife and son is priceless.  I even saw the Mrs. tear up when Derek Carr broke his leg.  Yet, it's even more interesting to see local football fans come to the realization that they could have games come to their town.  They could have something that brings the city together.  I have even heard several talk about a 'Las Vegas first' emotion taking over where they will always pull for a home team win despite being a Cowboys, Steelers or Packers fan.  Pretty crazy.  I guess, it will be an interesting day.  No matter how it goes, it is amazing that it has even become possibility.