Long Haul

Smoky and the Bandit had nothing on Deidre and Neil. Less than a month after leaving the West Coast for eastern Canada, the intrepid duo is hammer down on their return trip. Dee posted the day before they started off...

Well the official trip begins ( July 5 ) tomorrow, Heading to Fort MC Cloud AB and then cross in to the states from there. Will post updates when I can...

Her July 5^th update:

After looking at the map and not sure of the highway 2 I in the states have decided to stay with Hwy 1 for now. Fuel is running at 1.25...

Five days later they were…

Hello folks ,No wi fi and we are in Duluth Minnesota. All is good and we heading to Thunder Bay Ont in the am. Wi fi maybe in and out, I'm sitting near the office on someone else table…This time-change sucks. Will check in a little later if able

A few days later Dee provided a travel plan update:

Here the plan for the next few days #1 stop is Wawa Ont,#2 Spragge Ont,#3 Mattawa Ont,#4 East of Ottawa.. Off and running in the early AM

The 16^th of July…

Well we bypassed Mattawa and are now east of Ottawa, heading for east of Quebec City

The next day, Dee's sister posted:

Dee just phoned to say that they had made New Brunswick!!!!! She by-passed Montreal, Quebec and straight on to NB.....all is well with the exception of the mosquito welts that her and Neil have on various parts of their bodies

Talk about hammer down. Here's a couple photos of their eastbound trip...

 

Swift Current.

Swift Current

 

That's it for now. Next week I'll post their travelogue and photos from adventures in New Brunswick and PEI. Until then, back off the hammer and watch your back door. 10-4? Over and out.

 

Deborah

There is more credit and satisfaction in being a first-rate truck driver than a tenth-rate executive. ~ B.C. Forbes

 

After a short hiatus...

Neil's Bucket List travels resume...

Dee and Neil made it back to Canada in April in time to do their taxes. Yes. Canada Revenue does not care what personal travails you experience, only that you complete your taxes by April 30th. Along with taxes, Dee and Neil had other life-stuff to tidy up, like securing a new renter for their home, packing the last of their household items and moving them 700 kms into storage, RV repair, and visits with family and friends. And if they were not busy enough with organizing their lives, they stopped at Dee's sister's home for a quick visit, and ended up staying over a week. Why?

Because Dee wanted to help.

Yes, in the throes of her and Neil's personal chaos, she felt compelled to kick-start, oversee, and help complete a few improvement projects around her sister's, to help improve the saleability of the home. One of the projects?

A new deck!

Dee, quite rightly, pointed out that the old cement steps were not an only awkward, they were unsightly, and should be replaced with a nice, and much safer, wood deck. The next day the workmen arrived to take measurements, and two days later they went to work...

Deck in progress.
Photo by Deborah, copyright 2014

Work started at 7 am and continued through to 9 pm. The next morning Dee was up and gone to the hardware store by 7 am to buy stain...

Dee staining completed deck.
Photo by Deborah, copyright 2014

 And she was not the only one determined to see the project completed...

Neil staining lattice.
Photo by Deborah, copyright 2014

Despite excruciating pain from a severely bruised rib (slip in the shower), and uncooperative muscles that require him to remain seated except for short excursions to the restroom (PSP related), coughing fits to clear his lungs (mucus build up is another huge problem with PSP), 30C weather, perpetual hand cramps (again, PSP related) and an awkward position that exacerbated his breathing issues, Neil insisted on helping. If you check the dictionary, you'll find Neil pictured next to Courage, Strength, and Valor.



Benefactress of Dee and Neil's aid.
Photo by Deborah, copyright 2014

The benefactress of Dee and Neil's goodwill pitched in, and only four days from conception to completion, they were all able to relax on the new deck with a cup of tea and enjoy the fruit of their labor, before Neil and Dee set out today, headed east. They plan a weekend visit with Neil's sister and brother-in-law (hopefully minus any projects) and by this time next week, they should be Newfoundland bound. And it won't be easy.

In Arizona, Dee and Neil camped out in an RV park with family and friends. Now they are on their own. And Neil's health is deteriorating.

Do not let the above photos fool you. They are snippets of time in what truly is a very long day, for both.

Sleep eludes them. Neil coughs much of the night to keep his lungs clear; Dee wakes to help him, or just to lay quietly and ensure he resumes breathing. And then there are the trips to the restroom...

Come morning, Dee is up early to walk the dogs, feed them, and help Neil dress, before making breakfast. She watches Neil like a hawk throughout the day, especially when he eats, to ensure he swallows, because PSP is robbing him of the ability to control all his muscles. Every now and then she has to grasp his shoulder and shout, Hey!, to startle him out of a PSP-related spasm where his eyes shut, his hands clench, and he is essentially, "frozen".

"Swallow, AJ, swallow," she says as she strokes his arm after bringing him back to focus, gently reminding him to think about the action, so he can compel his body to comply.

Much of their verbal conversation is one-sided. Dee asks questions, or makes comments, and Neil replies with either Thumbs-up for Yes, Thumbs-down for No, and waggling his index finger for So-So. Every now and then Neil forces out a few words, but it takes a toll on him. Not because his ability to think is affected--it's not--but because he has to think to force the words out. The muscle stimulation often induces a coughing fit, which is actually a good thing.

Mucus build-up leads to pneumonia. Pneumonia and choking are the leading causes of death in PSP sufferers. The more Neil speaks, the more he coughs, the more mucus he can clear, and the more exhausted he becomes.

It's a vicious disease.

A stealthy disease.

An irreversible disease.

PSP is slowly strangling Neil, and forcing Dee to watch. So, if you see them during their travels, help them. Give them what you can.

A hug. A coffee. A beer. Your friendship. Your support. A gift card. A place to stay. A shoulder to cry on. A sympathetic ear. Share a joke, your love, your kindness and encouragement...Whatever you can spare. This is their journey and one they have no choice but to take, but there is no reason they should have to go it alone.

Just be there.

For them.

Because it's the one thing, you can do.


Deborah

Man becomes man only by his intelligence, but he is man only by his heart. ~Henri Frederic Amiel

On the Move

Arizona is wonderful in winter, but springtime temps that will only get hotter as the longer days melt into summer mean Dee and Neil are on the move...

"We are set  to leave April 12th for our journey home, going to miss **** but it's getting a bit too hot .It's going to be in the nineties from now on..."

Neil enjoying view from new site.
Photo by Deidre W.

On the way, they plan to make a few stops:

"...Search Light Nevada...St George Utah...Zion national park, and hope to see Bryce Canyon..."

Fortunately they have the new travel trailer and can stop at their leisure to enjoy the sights, and of course, attend to important business...



The first dump was a success! No shittastrophy.
 -- caption and photo by Leslie M

In the last few weeks, along with learning the ins and outs of their new trailer, Neil and Dee checked another item off the Bucket List, The Grand Canyon. Dee noted, "It was wonderful, WOW."

So, our intrepid travelers will soon be on the road home for a brief respite, before heading off on the next leg of their journey. Progressive Supranuclear Palsy is relentless; it waits for no one, meaning Dee and Neil must be as relentless fulfilling Neil's Bucket List.

Time with family, a tour of Newfoundland...bacon-wrapped scallops. Simple pleasures too many of us take for granted.

Deborah

I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship. ~Louisa May Alcott

It's Not The Cards, But How You Play Them

Pawn Star Store, Las Vegas.

In line to tour Pawn Stars store
Photo by Deidre W.

Helicopter ride.
Winter in Arizona.

These are just some of the things Neil has checked off his Bucket List thanks to the love and support of his wife Deidre, extended family, and friends.

The Pawn Store tour was crossed off in February during Neil's brother Dennis and wife Marsha's visit. They flew into Vegas from the frozen north and were met by Deidre and Neil who drove up from their temporary Arizona home for a little Sin City sightseeing, which included the must-do stop at  the iconic pawn store. In Deidre's words, the adventure "was pretty cool". Dennis and Neil checked off a mutual dream the same weekend--a helicopter ride.

Neil's helicopter ride
Photo by Deidre W.

But there is still plenty on the list, such as...


Small plane ride.
See the Grand Canyon.
Visit friends in BC and Neil's mother and siblings in Manitoba.
Large scallops wrapped in bacon.
Tour Newfoundland.



To facilitate some of these adventures, Deidre and Neil recently invested in a travel trailer:

New Travel Trailer
Photo by Leslie M.

Deidre, determined and brave soul she is, is learning the art of trailer-towing from brother-in-law Rod and other friends soaking up the sun in their winter locale, so she and Neil can head off across Canada later this spring--destination Newfoundland--with must-see people and places along the way. As exciting as all this travel and list-fulfillment seems, it's not all rainbows and pots of gold.

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy is exactly that--progressive. The disease is slowly robbing Neil of his mobility, and thus his autonomy.

In the last couple of years, for his, and others safety, Neil not only had to stop working, he had to give up his driver's license, his beloved dog Sadie, and woodworking. Thank God he has Deidre. Ask her, she'll say thank God she has Neil. I say, thank God they have each other.

Sadie
Photo by Deidre W.

None of us knows what life will throw at us, and if we love and live with someone long enough--like over thirty years as Deidre and Neil have--we will encounter rough patches and heartache to go with fun times and joyful sentiment. That is guaranteed. What is not guaranteed is how much time we each have. Life changes in an instant, and it's not what happens to you that determines your present or future--or the Luck (or lack thereof) O' the Irish--but how you choose to react to what happens.

Neil's been dealt a shit hand. But he and Deidre refuse to throw in the cards. They're not walking away from the table without a fight. Joker, Ace, Wild card...they'll see it and raise.

Grand Canyon? Coming up.
Scallops and bacon? Oh yeah.
Newfoundland? You bet.
Quit? Never.

One day, one beer, one joke, one smile, one item off the list, one lingering kiss, they're going all in, until they bring the House down.

Deborah

Enjoy yourself, drink, call the life you live today your own--but only that; the rest belongs to chance. ~Euripides

A Month of Love

February is, by all consumer standards, the month of love. Flowers, candy, cards, they're displayed in red, pink, and white profusion to remind you, yes you, to remember those you love. But sometimes, cards and candy can't cut it, and love in its purest form shines through despite the cloud of consumerism. It shows up in the form of family...

Neil and his brother Dennis and sister-in-law Marsha.
Photo by Deidre W.

Neil with Deidre's sister Leslie and brother-in-law Rod.
Photo by Deidre W.

And friends...

Friends Garry and Jackie.
Photo by Deidre W.
 

Happy hour...



Neil, Leslie and Rod getting happy...
Photo by Deidre W.

 

And home, no matter how temporary...

 



Neil and Dee's temporary digs.
Photo by Deidre W.

Happiness comes from the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed. ~Storm Jameson

Settled In

In Mid-January, Dee and Neil found a place in Arizona they wanted to settle for a while and soak up much appreciated sun. Happy as they are to park and play, getting there was half the fun:

"We are in Barstow ,my co pilot did pretty good reading the map ,we only screwed up once .Weather is 68 degrees and loving it.."

I bet. It's about 28 degrees back home.

Dee and Neil decided not to have the 5th wheel shipped down, but instead:

"We have rented a two bed two bath mobile home in castle rock resort just outside of Parker .We move in on Tuesday. We are booking it for month and if its what we want we will stay here till we are ready to come home. Thanks for the tip Michelle. We are at the Bluewater casino and it's a nice big room $53.00 a night and that's with two dogs. Happy — feeling wonderful."

Neil enjoying sun. Photo by Deidre W.

Not only is the sun appreciated, so are free hamburgers:



Free hamburger BBQ. Photo by Deidre W.

From Deidre's FB post, I don't think hamburgers are the only thing on the menu...

"Back on line,loving the sun picture coming soon ..check in later..Now where did i put my beer.."

The full one? I could not say. But I know where the empties are going!

Photo by Deidre W.

Enjoy, Dee and Neil. And keep sending the pics and updates!

Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are. ~Marianne Williamson


(please note: I am delaying posts of Dee and Neil's adventures in specific locations, until they have moved on, to allow them to enjoy their privacy. This is the Internet, after all.) 

And They're Off!

After months of preparation--and perhaps just a little frustration--Deidre and Neil have hit the road. In a completely different mobile than originally intended.

Remember the motor home they thought they bought?

Turns out the paperwork was suspect. So they bid on another in Washington state. Unfortunately, that one was more than suspect--it was trashed, as their former son-in-law, Morris, discovered when he and his daughter (Dee and Neil's granddaughter) arrived to pick it up. So...

They bought a 5th Wheel. From Michigan. And had it shipped cross-country and then cross-border to British Columbia's lower mainland, where they lived in the 5th Wheel for a little over a month, before storing it and heading south--yesterday--in their new VAN.

Yes. They traded in their SUV for a van. And finally, after a couple of false-starts and a handful of hitches, things started coming together a little easier, as Deidre noted:

"You got to love it when a plan comes together,Travel medical under a 1000.Like..Found a perfect bathing suit at the thrift store ( brand new).And the scooter fit perfectly in the van ...Love ,love..Happy,happy .Pic's coming soon...On the road Wednesday..."

Which was yesterday. And when she checked in last night, they were:

"ok folks we made it to Springfield Oregon. Rain like hell....Seattle, slowed down to 50 mile an hour, hit it 11:00 am. We love our new van ,it's a dream to drive..
That's all for now .."

So begins the travel portion of their journey. They plan to hotel it, until they find a place sunny and warm they want to set for a while. Then Morris will haul the 5th Wheel out of storage and tow it down for them, set it up, and fly home. Deidre's promised to post pictures on her FB page when she has a chance. With her permission, I will post them here along with news of their travels for those people who wish to follow along. Until then,

You will never "find" the time for anything. If you want the time you must make it. ~ Charles Buxton


Deb