Paducah, Kentucky

6-MAR-2018, Interstate 24, heading west – Paducah Kentucky is a long way from Caro Babbo, but not too far away to spend money.

Jennifer closed on one of Hilary’s houses this week, and signed all the paperwork for the second closing, so we needn’t return for it.

We’re riding in a Budget 12-foot box truck, driving some of Hilary’s belongings up to Port Townsend.

Hilary looked very good when I saw her, but more and more fragile. She was less sure on her feet and it looked to me like there were the beginnings of neurological issues. It is difficult.

Jennifer and I wandered, for a bit, through Hilary’s 1980s tax returns. There is a book here. I am avid reader of biographies. One of Hilary is dying to be written. It is a matter of source materials and diaries. We have a number, but what of her disappearances into Mexico and other places? It is all very tantalizing. In 1986, her tax returns were quite sophisticated: she owned six houses, and held the mortgages on two more.

Like on Caro Babbo, when we’re under power Jennifer drives. She is as I write, and prefers to drive rather then be a passenger. Navigation is minimal: enter an address into Waze and then follow directions.

The Budget truck has a governor that limits us to 75 mph, which isn’t much in the land of 70 mile-an-hour speed limits.

While Jennifer drives, I shop. Yesterday was a $1700 day: $300 for two replacement burners, $500 for a ruggedized tablet (Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2), a replacement phone for my old and now cracked Xperia Z ($150 for a used Xperia Z4), and a Iridium Go for a little over $700.

The number of work days before we leave on Caro Babbo are dwindling. There will be a number of things that I wanted to get done, that will not get done, but there comes a feeling of relaxation as work wraps up and plans are settled.

The feeling is the same feeling I would have whenever I entered the airport for a business trip: whatever was going to get done was done, now I’d just work with what I had. There are always tasks unfinished and even unstarted.

I am hoping I’ll be able to replace the windows, but they are fine as they are. The port window leaks a bit, but external caulking will fix that.

A locker in the aft cabin still leaks, but it is more of an annoyance than anything else.
The trip home could have been a straight 44-hour shot, but instead we’ll spend four days and see friends and relatives along the way.

Jennifer and I get to be together, alone. It is becoming a very enjoyable habit. I’m a lucky man.

11-MAR-2018  The Xperia Z4 does not have T-Mobile Wi-Fi calling – it is a special OS build – so I ordered and have received a T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S7 ($174 delivered), but which uses a different size SIM. We’ll get one at a T-Mobile store in Sequim (pronounced squim), when we drop off the truck.

The tablet should arrive later today.

The Iridium Go was on the porch when we arrived in PT. I first spoke with a very nice woman in San Diego who offered me a discounted price on service that was a bit lower than other offers (her initial price was in outer space), but required a full payment up front, cancellation fees and other issues. Month-to-month with no upfront is easily available. I have a few questions into the vendor, but will probably go with that vendor.