HansRygXit Prelude

Over the last 13 months, the primary focus of our life in Anchorage, Alaska was to sell the house and move on down the Alaska Canada Highway (ALCAN) to our new home in Winona, Minnesota.  Since reconnecting at our class reunion in September 2018, getting engaged 6 weeks later, marrying 6 months after that in June of 2019, our newlywed life together has been a hoot.  
The road to selling Barb's house in Anchorage was a challenge to say the least.  Knowing our 103 year old house in our hometown was waiting for us made the whole experience worth it.

Toasting our upcoming nuptuals from Slovenia!
                                                                        
Only in the last couple years did the exploding homelessness issues along the wooded trail near the neighborhood start to impact us - a loss of 20 to 25% of the home value, and our psyches along with it as we watched the neighborhood succumb to a constant stream of drug and alcohol addicted derelicts. That story could be fodder for an entirely different and lengthy blog, but it's in our rear-view mirror now. 

Barb's house!

Fast forward to Thursday, June 25th 2020... After 48 open houses, 60-some house cleanings, and 3 failed sales, we finally signed the closing documents, had the trailer loaded, refrigerator cleaned out, beer consumed, house cleaned one last time, and ready to go.  All we needed was the funds transfer from the buyer's bank to the closing company, which was scheduled to occur the next day.  We were THRILLED!  We had our rough plan all ready.  Head out after notification of the "recording" of the sale and head on our way.  North to the small town of Tok, AK then turn southeast into the Yukon.  Our Roadtrek RV van was parked on the street with trailer attached and ready to go. Rosebud, Barb's Husky mix, and Tilly the cat were fed and medicated for the journey, goodbyes had been said. What could go wrong?

    Our last meal in Anchorage (so we thought!).  Halibut and Chips at Matanuska Brewing Company

The Chickasaw Bank in Oklahoma.  That's what could go wrong.  After having "IT issues", the fund transfers for that day were all delayed until Monday.  So we would be stuck in Anchorage for another agonizing weekend.  We were so close!  Victory at hand!  Then, as fate would have it, our Roadtrek would have an electrical issue with the taillights.  We discovered this after a Saturday diversionary trip up to the spectacular Hatcher Pass north of Palmer, AK.  A needed stress relief that fortunately uncovered the problem.  Better now than while barreling down the ALCAN under the watchful and scrutinizing eyes of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

                                    Hatcher Pass, outside Palmer, AK.  Absolutely beautiful day!

                                    Yes, still ice on the lake. And yes, that's our "COVID" hair.



                Yikes!... sign says 351 moose killed on Mat-Su Burrough highways since July 2019

Sunday was spent re-packing the van, re-cleaning the house, re-emptying the refrigerator, and saying our now oft-repeated goodbyes to our neighbors.  After troubleshooting the taillight issue to the heights of my mental and emotional capacity, we decided to take it into our trusted garage first thing Monday morning in an attempt to get it repaired and road-worthy in time for the completed funds transfer and exit soon after.

All we need to do is get a good night's sleep.  Our last night in Anchorage!  Up at at 'em at 6:30 to take the van in and get ready to go!  What could possibly go wrong?




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