5 Years

FEBRUARY 1, 2008.

 

It is five years to the day that I arrived in Los Angeles after making the cross country drive with U-haul trailer in tow from Greensboro, NC.  On January 25, 2003 Joe Taylor and I set out to move to Los Angeles. Joe was moving back there for the second time. We met in Greensboro and headed out on Interstate 40 West on a Saturday. Joe was in his van and I was in my Cherokee with the U-haul trailer. While traveling through the NC mountains near Asheville my Cherokee felt the strain of pulling the trailer up the mountains and a seal in my transmission broke spilling transmission fluid. We pulled into Asheville, only 3 hours from Greensboro, to seek mechanical help. Unfortunately we couldn't find anyone to do repairs late Saturday afternoon and no one would be open on Sunday so we got a motel conveniently next to a Jeep dealership. Sunday I watched the Super Bowl in the motel room and wondered, was this a sign that I shouldn't move to Los Angeles. Monday I dropped off my car at the dealership and found out later that day that they couldn't find the part they needed so they had to order it. I finally got my car back Tuesday at 5pm and we hit the road again.

 

On January 31 we arrived in Barstow, CA and got a room in a motel. Joe had arrived earlier than me because of speed limit restrictions with trailers and I was taking it easy going up hills and mountains. Before I got to the motel Joe got some food from a Jack In The Box. He payed dearly for that decision because he was throwing up all night with food poisoning. The next morning we woke up and Joe was very weak. Turned on the tv as we prepared to check out of the room and we saw that the Space Shuttle Columbia had blow up over Texas.  We arrived in Los Angeles around noon that day.

 

It is five years later and I'm still in Los Angeles. Joe moved back to NC in late 2004. I'm glad I didn't decide to stay in NC after my transmission problems.

I just got back from the bank and post office. Yesterday I received long overdue payment for work last fall dating back to September. Today I deposited my checks and then dropped a check in the mail to completely pay off my credit card. Debt free for the first time in over 5 years. It is a good day.