Almost halfway done. I am bad at blogging.

A lackluster start...

Are We There Yet?

NO.

But we're a bit closer. Our planned departure date up until Monday of last week was Friday the 4th. As of last Monday, it became Monday the 7th. this way we'd have an additional weekend to prepare, and we would skip the weekend traffic. We started packing (basically) two days ago. The downstairs looks like this:

This'll all fit in Günther right?

We feel that we are devising the best system possible for extended travel. We have compiled a series of different-sized containers. the Idea is that each container will have a different type of item in them so that we can both keep track of everything pretty easily, but also move things in and out of the car quickly. It helps keep everything de-cluttered as well. However, Emily and I can't seem to agree on what should go where. My solution has been to just get more boxes. But if we had it my way, as Emily has pointed out, each individual item would have it's own box, and we'd be a box full of boxes on wheels... That won't do. We HAVE agreed that the really big box will be dry-foods, like a pantry. Additionally, Emily supplied us each with a nifty fabric crate. we agreed that we each could bring as many shoes as would fit into our crate, minus the one's on our feet. I quickly realized how unfair this was because I have bigger feet then her. 

Günther:

Hour 1. Hope level: fading.

Günther is my car. Günther is 15 years old. Günther could be in better shape.

The entirty of today was spent on preventative maintenance for poor Günther. Here is a list of things that Günther needs fixed, followed by an X if we fixed it today:

- Front right light wiper needs to be replaced [ ]

- Wiper fluid motor needs to be replaced [ ]

- Wipers need to be replaced [ ]

- Timing belt needs to be replaced (along with Idler pulley, Tensioner pulley, and Water Pump) [ ]*

- Serpentine Belt needs to be replaced [x]

- New spark plugs [x]

- New rear brake rotors [x]

- New rear brake pads [x]

- Oxygen sensor(s?) need(s) to be replaced [ ]

- Wagon door latch needs to be replaced (this'll make a doozy of a post later) [ ]

- Passenger door lock needs fixing [ ]

*ok, this one doesn't really count. We checked out the timing belt and decided it was actually in pretty good condition.

The goods.

Tool box and bad-ass heating unit.

Box of parts, water, hat, and Dad's iPad for video instructions if necessary.

Serpentine belt of death.

Goodbyes:

Goodbyes suck. I really hate them. They're so damn sad. I loathe the idea of verbally recognizing departure. It gives me a sense a permanency that just irks my soul. I think last night's exchange with my friend Richard sums it up pretty well:

 

Stressin' BIG TIME. Hey other friends out there, I feel like this is kind of a cop-out, but If I don't see you in the next 1.5 days, don't sweat it, I still love you. I just gotta go k?

-Zach

REDDIT LINK OF THE DAY: http://rossmannellcomments.edublogs.org/2012/09/09/why-24-hours-in-a-day-why-not-10-or-100-for-4t-learning-about-time/