New Year’s Eve! Today is the last day of 2013. What a year it has been. The year flew past, while at the same time it seems like going to work at the office and coming home to a sticks-and-bricks house was something that happened a long time ago.

We made the decision to move up my retirement date by one year back in March 2013. Shortly after that, we had an offer to buy our house before we even listed it! Everything fell into place and with a little sweat and long  hours, we were ready for road. My last day in the office was July 19, 2013.

We headed east to visit Donna’s family in upstate New York. We visited friends and watched a friend compete in the Ironman Triathlon in Lake Placid. From there, we headed west and saw a lot of our country, making friends along the way. In Idaho, we stopped in Priest River to visit my best friend from my school days, Jim Birditt, and his wife, Cindy.

We eventually made it to western Washington State, where we visited my oldest daughter, Alana, and our grand daughters, Lainey and Gabi (Gabriella). From there we came down the West Coast through Washington, Oregon and California.

We stopped at the Cape Blanco State Park in Oregon and met Chris and Cherie (I follow their blog, Technomadia). We also visited Paul and Nina who have a blog called Wheeling It. Both couples were working as lighthouse hosts.

We explored the giant redwoods in northern California and made our way to San Diego. We stayed in San Diego for 97 days, visiting friends and family and enjoying the beaches and beautiful climate.

When I was growing up in San Diego, if someone said they were going to “the river,” it was understood that they meant the Colorado River at the Arizona border. No need to say “the Colorado River.” it’s just the river. That’s where we are today, visiting with old friends from high school days, Kim  and Pat Chapman, Kim’s sister, Debbie, and our new friend, Bruce Bednarski, Debbie’s husband.

Yesterday we went out on the river in Bruce’s boat. Kim and Pat followed in Pat’s boat. We went upriver from the Imperial Dam and found a sandbar. Bruce beached the boat and we set up chairs on the sandbar. It was relaxing, sitting in the sun and enjoying sandwiches with beer. The weather was fine – temperature in the 70s with just a light breeze.

Bruce taking us up the river

Donna feeling the windchill as we speed up the river

Relaxing on the sandbar

Bruce’s boat in the foreground

Donna and her shadow on the sandbar

Today, Donna has a phone interview with WGN-AM radio at 12:30. I’ll dump and flush our holding tanks and attend to a few chores. At some point, I may take a nap and rest up for the evening’s festivities. We’ve been invited to join Bruce, Debbie, Pat and Kim for prime rib and  martinis.

I may not post again for a few days. Internet connectivity has been troublesome. We’ll leave here on January 2nd and head over to Mesa, Arizona. I intend to look at a few coaches there that I found on the internet.