Poulsbo at my aunt & uncle’s house.  Absolutely gorgeous!  (A little hazy from the smoke/wildfires)

Hello all! I can’t believe we have been back in Washington for 3 months. Stating the obvious, but time flies! Thought I would give you an update on our “re-entry” progress.

Last time we wrote, we were at the Puyallup Fairgrounds for 10 days volunteering at the US Open Golf Tournament. It felt like we were still on an adventure living in the MoHo so not quite back into reality. We had a few different friends (Pflu’s and Detroit’s) come and stay with us to attend the golf tourney, which was fun. I think Mike enjoyed the volunteering more than me, but we loved having a free pass into the tournament and took full advantage. On the final day, we opted to just watch from the comfort of the MoHo since we had already been hiking around the course for 6 straight days. A good decision as we could actually watch some golf.

Chambers Bay Golf Course, 2015 US Open

Happy volunteers

After we left Puyallup, we settled in at the KOA in Kent for a week as we continued our search for a permanent place to live. My expectation of this process was way off base. Throughout the month of June we toured over 30 properties and drove by at least another 50. The housing market in Seattle is off the charts crazy right now, so it was quite a bit more competitive and challenging than we thought. Finally, we found a place that we felt pretty good about and jumped on it. No time to “think about it” as someone else would have come along and nabbed it. We settled on a townhouse in Bellevue and moved in July 1. It is a great location, but the place is a little older than I would have liked. But, we have a full garage with plenty of storage space, so we were able to clear out our storage unit which was great. And, I LOVE that we have a dishwasher and washer/dryer – the little things that make me happy. We are now in 1,400 square feet of living space vs. the 350 square feet of the MoHo. However, the kitchen is about the same size!   We are committed here for a year lease, so we have some time to figure out our next step. A funny side note is that I lived in this same complex about 17 years ago with some girlfriends.

Getting a vehicle for Mike was also on our to-do list. This one was easy, as he knew exactly what he wanted. It was just a matter of the dreaded negotiation and car dealer BS. Luckily, he had worked with Toyota of Bellevue before, so it was pretty painless (except for the new car payment). We are now the proud owners of a 2015 Toyota Tundra truck! Mike is a happy camper!

Mike’s new truck parked in front of our townhouse

We are now both working and what an adjustment that has been. Mike is working for the National Cremation Society doing in-home sales. Right up his alley and while it is a unique product to sell, it is one that is always needed. He has the patience and demeanor to discuss this difficult topic with customers and loves the flexibility that outside sales brings. While Mike was one and done (one resume, one interview, one job offer), my journey has taken a bit longer and is still in process. Currently, I am employed through Simplicity Consulting on a 3-month marketing contract at Savers. They are the parent company of Value Village and the corporate headquarters are here in Bellevue, a glorious 5-minute commute (did I mention the horrible traffic situation in Seattle?). I am committed through Oct. 31 at Savers, then it will be time for another contract or hopefully I’ll be onto finding a full-time position somewhere.

A trip to Woodinville and rejoining some of our favorite wine clubs was a must

The last piece of the puzzle for us is to sell our beloved MoHo. It was in the shop at Camping World in Fife for 7 weeks getting some warranty work done. Most of that time, it was just sitting waiting. We were beyond frustrated with the lack of customer service we were receiving and the absence of communication and common courtesy. We finally reached our boiling point and had to elevate our issues to the corporate office. Miraculously, our parts came in and the MoHo was fixed within a few days. So, now we have her for sale at Kitsap RV in Bremerton. We figured consignment was the best option for us, especially since we don’t have storage. So, hopefully a buyer comes along soon. A little bittersweet though.

Mariners game with Shelly and Kris

Other than all of that, we have been busy reconnecting with friends and family and getting reacquainted with the area. We are looking forward to being in town for the Seahawks season and Mike can’t wait for Husky football to start. It is great to be home, but of course we miss the freedom and carefree lifestyle of being on the road.   We have booked a few trips/weekends, so we have some fun events to look forward to. The weather in Seattle this summer has been fabulous so that has eased our re-entry. We really do live in a beautiful part of the country!  For all of you who we met on the road, come visit.  We would love to see you!

Annual Pool Party at Camp Cameron – this pic represents 4 different years of Shorecrest High School graduates.  Still friends 30 years later!