Journal 6-20-07
Our day started early at Sumner Lake State Park so that we could get business taken care of in Albuquerque and then drive to Taos. I think we were successful on all counts. We had to resort to some interstate driving again, but only about 50 miles of it. It was necessary so that we could arrive in Albuquerque in time to go to a Kinko’s store, pick up an e-mailed letter from Elizabeth having to do with the sale of her condo in Durham, sign the letter, have it notarized, overnight it to the closing attorney in North Carolina, and pick up a rental car at another location in Albuquerque--all by noon. We made it with the help of Niles. We’ve named the British-accented voice on our GPS Niles, and we even get into arguments with Niles over the directions he gives us. Very polite arguments, I might add.
Lois drove the rental car and followed me to Taos. We arrived about 4:30 and went straight to the cabin, which is about eight miles outside Taos. When we got there, Sandy, the lady who has lived in the cabin for 16 years, had not quite finished moving out. She and her friend were close to finishing and encouraged us to go to town for dinner while they wrapped up. After talking for a while, we took them up on their offer and went to Michael’s Kitchen, a favorite spot of Don Ricketts, Lois’ father. We had a nice meal, drove around Taos, saw what was new since our last visit and made the obligatory visit to WalMart for some essentials before returning to the cabin. When we arrived, Sandy had still not finished, but was through within about 30 minutes. We scheduled some time with Sandy tomorrow for more of a walkthrough on what we need to know about the cabin.
On another positive note, Sandy is quite a gardner and the flowers at the cabin are in full bloom. There are daisies, columbines, irises and other flowers all around the cabin in beds that Sandy made over the years. They really add beauty to the place, but are going to be an upkeep problem as well.
Our day started early at Sumner Lake State Park so that we could get business taken care of in Albuquerque and then drive to Taos. I think we were successful on all counts. We had to resort to some interstate driving again, but only about 50 miles of it. It was necessary so that we could arrive in Albuquerque in time to go to a Kinko’s store, pick up an e-mailed letter from Elizabeth having to do with the sale of her condo in Durham, sign the letter, have it notarized, overnight it to the closing attorney in North Carolina, and pick up a rental car at another location in Albuquerque--all by noon. We made it with the help of Niles. We’ve named the British-accented voice on our GPS Niles, and we even get into arguments with Niles over the directions he gives us. Very polite arguments, I might add.
Lois drove the rental car and followed me to Taos. We arrived about 4:30 and went straight to the cabin, which is about eight miles outside Taos. When we got there, Sandy, the lady who has lived in the cabin for 16 years, had not quite finished moving out. She and her friend were close to finishing and encouraged us to go to town for dinner while they wrapped up. After talking for a while, we took them up on their offer and went to Michael’s Kitchen, a favorite spot of Don Ricketts, Lois’ father. We had a nice meal, drove around Taos, saw what was new since our last visit and made the obligatory visit to WalMart for some essentials before returning to the cabin. When we arrived, Sandy had still not finished, but was through within about 30 minutes. We scheduled some time with Sandy tomorrow for more of a walkthrough on what we need to know about the cabin.
On another positive note, Sandy is quite a gardner and the flowers at the cabin are in full bloom. There are daisies, columbines, irises and other flowers all around the cabin in beds that Sandy made over the years. They really add beauty to the place, but are going to be an upkeep problem as well.
I think that Lois and I had both been anxious about today’s meeting with Sandy and tour of the cabin. Since none of us had been in the cabin for eleven years, and in light of the passive resistance that we had been experiencing from Sandy about moving, we really didn’t know what to expect. Considering everything, I think that things went as well as could be expected. Sandy was helpful, and the cabin is in reasonably good shape. I think Lois is disappointed because the floor plan of the cabin has been changed and most of the furniture that was here when we came here 20 years ago is nowhere to be found. In her words, “It doesn’t feel like my cabin.”
I think that will be a worthy goal for the next couple of weeks: doing everything we can to make the cabin feel like ours.
I think that will be a worthy goal for the next couple of weeks: doing everything we can to make the cabin feel like ours.
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