Clearing the Deck...

"A goal is a dream with a deadline."

~ Napoleon Hill

Every time I look at the countdown clock at the bottom of this blog, I'm equal parts excited and frantic. A world cruise requires a ton of planning, and as I may have confessed on an earlier post, I'm not the most organized person in the world. That's why I rely on lists, lists & more lists combined with a calendar to get things accomplished in a timely manner. 

Unfortunately, one list isn't sufficient. We've ticked off most everything on my Makin' A List & Checkin' It Twice post, but along the way we've discovered new things that should have been added to it. Here are a few more things we've had to do to "clear the deck" for our rapidly approaching departure:

1. Finish LORD BREDON & THE BACHELOR'S BIBLE.  You may have heard my whoop of triumph on Wednesday. I was able to type THE END on the first draft this week. This manuscript isn't due to my editor until May, but I wanted to have it finished before we leave for #1 Daughter's place on Jan 19th. I can tinker with the story on sea days, but this way, I won't feel any pressure about it. *Relieved sigh*
2. Final doctor/dentist appointments. The DH & I went to the dentist this week. The last thing you want is to discover you've got a problem with your teeth in the middle of the Pacific.  Fortunately, we're all good. Ditto for our regular doctor check ups, including my mammogram in October. Never put off a trip to the doctor because you're afraid it might reveal something that will interfere with your plans. It's better to find & fix problems early so you can live to have plans, isn't it?
3. Arrange for payments for recurring bills. We pay everything online. If it's a recurring expense, it's set to go automatically. This week, the DH visited our city hall to arrange for them to do a direct debit for our utility bills while we're gone. Since this is a  fluctuating amount, it's nice to know it'll be taken care of without  having to visit the website and try to find out what our bill is for any given month. 
4. Arrange payment for annual bills that will come due while we're gone. These kind of bills tend to sneak up on me, so I went back through our bank records looking for them.

   

   The DH & Charlie watch a neighbors shed float away.

    Last January, the county re-drew the flood plain maps and lo! and behold, we were suddenly included in the 100 year flood plain. We bought flood insurance immediately and sure enough, we had what the authorities called a 1000 year flood in April! Though our crawl space was filled almost to the floor joists, the water receded quickly & we didn't have any long term damage. Our next premium will come due while we're on the Pacific Princess, so the DH called to arrange for our flood insurance company to bill our credit card when the time comes. In January, we also need to visit the place where our camper is stored and pay that yearly fee, too. It won't come due till March, but we may or may not be reachable then.
5. File for an extension for federal and state income taxes. Unlike the other items listed here, we haven't accomplished this yet, but the DH is starting to organize our financial records so he can make an estimate of the taxes we owe. It's not enough, you see, for you to tip your hat to Uncle Sam and promise to pay him later. He wants the money up front, even if we can't submit the actual tax return with supporting documentation until we return home from the WC. If I could give Princess & all the other cruise lines out there one suggestion, it would be not to start their world cruises until after W2's come at the end of January. 

Anyway, those are some of the last minute things we've been doing in preparation for leaving our land life for 94 days. Now, we get to enjoy Christmas with our family, knowing almost everything is settled.

Oh, wait! I still need to pack!

Can you think of anything else I've forgotten?

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