lb@large

Finally, we are a-movin’ again!! Our four months stay in Karl’s house in Austin, Texas, was a relief in many ways, but… too much is too much. Sure, we enjoyed our daily hot showers, the use of a clean and working toilet, healthy and freshly cooked meals (thank you, Mark), our own bedroom with a very comfortable bed, a whole house to roam around in, all-time internet, and of course the good company. Kali and Darwin loved it, protected the place as if it was their own (they wish), enjoyed the awesome fenced-in yard and all the attention.

But, we were stuck, waiting for things that refused to happen. We hate being stuck, with no way out, especially in winter times!! There was no interest in our camper, parked in Karl’s driveway. As long as that thing didn’t sell, we were very reluctant to let go of the Big Red Truck. So, we drove that monstrous, diesel chugging thing around, being completely sick of it. Mark searched online every day to find a replacement car. We knew exactly what we wanted: a 4 door, 4 cylinder Toyota Tacoma with less than
100 000 miles and a little younger than 2000. Now, where the hell do you find a truck with “that low” mileage? Not in Texas! And with only 4 cylinders, in a state where the saying “the bigger the better” rules? Nope, it was a quest close to the impossible!

I guess that explains why we were in Austin for close to four months. We eventually put the camper on consignment (where it still sits), sold the truck for a good price (it did have LOW mileage and was very unique), and drove around the state to look for “our” Tacoma. With no luck. In the meantime, Mark, the dogs and I got to enjoy some of Austin’s beautiful parks and sights. We did many walks, saw the bat colony leave at dusk, went kayaking, made a couple of daytrips, hung out with friends, and explored the internet extensively. I got some writing done and learned to rock climb. But most of all: Mark and I survived each other once again in all but fun conditions, even though it was very hard at times… We don’t seem to be able to live a normal life!

When we finally possessed our Toyota Tacoma, it was time to make plans. The idea to move to Belize faded a bit. Mark ran into some sailing stories and boats for sale during his days, weeks, months on the web. And if one thing makes that guy excited… it’s the idea of owning a sailboat again. The thought of going sailing, on a more stable catamaran this time, appealed to everybody. Well, the dogs don’t know yet… So, our vague plan is this: check out the catamarans that are for sale at a reasonable price, on the east part of the country. If we knew all this about four months ago…