It's A Plan Now

For what seems like ten years we've had one chance or another for Tim to possibly transfer and advance with one company or another. Let's see...

We had an offer to move to Charlotte, got pulled from him. Then it was Raleigh, then it wasn't. Then It was Dallas, then it was a nope. Next was Pensacola, seemed it was going to happen and didn't. When Orlando got mentioned I was like "yeah, whatever" and now suddenly Tim has already been living in Orlando for over two months waiting for the rest of us to join him. He's living with my brother for now and they have even been to see about a couple of houses for us to live in.

Massey wanted to move down as soon as she finished her school year but has agreed to stay here with me and Zach through the summer. Her airport badge expires on her birthday (August 19) and will work with me here at the airport until then, saving up as much money as she can. By then, Tim will have us a place to move into and she'll go down first. I've told my managers I'll stay until the end of September to catch the last wave of summer travelers and join Tim and Massey in our new digs in Orlando.

It's actually worked out almost perfectly. We decided to rent our house here for extra income, since our fifteen year mortgage will be  paid off in a few short months. We started to use property management but as luck would have it are going to rent to my nephew and his wife, letting them make any changes they want and have a nice spacious fenced in yard for their own two pups. Zach is going to stay here for six months with them, taking over Massey's downstairs bedroom which is separate from the rest of the house. He'll be on the ground floor with his own half bath, access to the laundry room, kitchen and garage to come and go as he pleases while my nephew , his wife and their daughter/ step daughter occupy the top two floors which have the big living room on the second and three bedrooms and two full baths on the third. The only thing they will share is the dining room off the kitchen downstairs.

Zach told me last night that he's only going to stay for six more months after I leave at the end of September and then move to Orlando with the rest of us. I was thrilled to hear him say that and pretty sure my nephew and his wife will be too! Originally he had planned to remain in Newnan and I was pretty bummed. As much as my kids can get on my nerves I like to have them close.

I want all us Clampetts to be together again and now we will. Our oldest son is already living in Orlando (moved about six months ago) with his little family and has a great job. My brother lives there too and now so will the rest of us.

Most excellent!!

The only bad thing about the entire move is that I'm leaving my sister. She's not just a sister, she's my best friend and soul mate. Our mother died in 1977 and Cindy immediately took over as a role model. I think every major decision I've made in my life since August 19, 1977 has been run by her first. She was my matron of honor when I married Tim. She's loved all three of my kids as her own and helped me raise them all. When I ever had parenting issues, I went to her. Whenever I had marriage issues, I went to her. Whenever I had personal or financial issues...ditto. She gave solid advice and shot it straight whether I liked it or not. She's the most generous, humble person I've ever known and never been judgemental of me but encouraging, supportive and always, always there for me.

I'm really not sure how I'm going to survive without her being a ten minute car ride away.

She encouraged me to accept the airport job when I didn't even own a vehicle. I had to borrow a car from a friend just for my interview. Before that, my sister loaned me an older spare car of hers until I drove it to it's death. Her comment was "It would have quit running no matter who was driving it and glad you got some good use out of it."

Once I took a job twenty five miles from home she and her husband loaned me vehicle after vehicle or caught rides with a friend also working at the airport. Then her son loaned me his car and I drove it for a couple of months. By this point I was making enough money to buy her son's car and he was just as nice as his mother and let me pay it off over a couple of month's time.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

I've since been able to buy myself a brand new car, gave Massey the one I bought from my nephew and bought an older Ranger pick up for Tim to take to Texas which he drove back home when getting his transfer to Orlando and was able to give that truck to Zach when Tim bought his own car in Orlando. It's called Paying It Forward.

My own kids went through a lot during our six year financial meltdown but never ever complained one time. They went without a lot of things but always had a roof over their heads and were grateful for it. They've helped me out time and again when I've needed it and always been there for me. I figure a used vehicle is the least I can do for them. They pay for the insurance and maintenance and take good care of the vehicles. It's a win/win.

My saving grace is  my sister retired from Delta and flies for free. I'm hoping after getting tired of visiting so much will eventually move to Orlando as well. She'd never leave her two boys behind but bet they would like moving there too with their wives one day in the not too distant future.

One's already married and the other will be in a few short weeks.

I can't blame my sister for not wanting to be away from them. I have two awesome nephews who have chosen excellent life mates.

 I feel like I've been all over the place as far as feelings and emotions go over the past half decade. I also know would have never made it this far without my brother and sister. 

Without them, I'm simply not me. With them, I can do anything. 

 We were three little kids sitting on our parent's used clunker of a station wagon. Our parents weren't rich by any means but we were, by every definition of the word.

I still love my job at the airport and all it has allowed me to accomplish for not only my family but myself as well. Yes it's demanding to work a forty (sometimes more) hour work week there at the age of almost fifty six but propelled us out of the red and comfortably into the black. If I kept up this pace would be dead in less than another year. Instead I'll give it my all for six more months and then do what old peeps who hate cold weather do best... retire to Florida and enjoy the rest of my life.

I've met and made wonderful friends. I've risen to financial heights as a professional server never thought imaginable. It's time to relax a bit and time to put this family back together.

I've learned a lot about myself on our tumultuous and twisting journey.

I learned to never ever give up and to fight like a giant for what you believe in, especially when you're lucky enough to have people who believe in YOU.

They never let me  down so why let them down?

Every day feel firmer in my conviction this is the right thing for us to do.

Six months and counting...

Til next time  COTTON