Rolling with it. Preparation

Rolling with it

 An intro:

There will be no philosophical moments in this one…… see, already I am lying!

My journey by truck to San Pancho, well actually the second of my journeys to San Pancho, was to go to the border and release my Temporary Import Permit(TIP) so I could keep my car in Mexico legally.

You see, we are Residencias Permanentes in Mexico and to possess and drive a car in Mexico legally as a permanent resident you have to either import your current vehicle or buy a Mexican plated car. 
It is not legal when you reside in Mexico as a permanent resident to drive a foreign plated vehicle.

Not having the money to take our car out of the country and sell it and buy an already Mexican plated vehicle left me but one choice.

Drive our 2001 Isuzu Rodeo out of the country, drag my boat behind it since it was included in my Temporary Import Permit and turn around and bring it back in.

Oh, right, our 90 pound chocolate Labrador Seamus had to be along for the ride, too. No trip is complete without a giant chocolate colored mass highly sensitive to moving drooling over your shoulder for days on end.                                                                    

  My buddy Seamus.

There would be no sense in doing that since it was two days hard driving to the border to not add another day each way and drive the rest of the way to San Diego so I could fill my boat to the gills with more of our stored belongings and, subsequently, drag it all back down to San Pancho….the accoutrements of life, right?

I was prudent in every way…. Tires, oil changes for the engine and tranny, wiring all functioning, I was the prepared fireman making sure everything was cool and safe for my journey.

Oddly enough I allowed myself plenty of time in San Diego to not only get everything loaded and inventoried safely but to also have chill time with mi familia who had flown up the day before I drove north to visit with family….. yes….. plenty of time.

Well, also oddly enough, it rained like hell damn near every day those five days I was sitting there in that drought stricken Southern California desert.

What the hell!?

Well, I had fun with my family.

Finally, the day before I absolutely had to leave to import my car, boat and boat trailer into Mexico I got a break in the weather….. a beautiful, sunshiny Southern California La Jolla day…. The kind of day that makes you see why people spend every cent they have to live in that rarified air.

That night I checked the forecast and it was clear except for the slight possibility of rain early the next morning when I was to depart.
Finally, the weather break I needed! 

I couldn’t load everything the night before because my boat was parked on the street and I didn't want everything I knew I would have to so painstakingly load safely to be gone when I woke up.

I spent the entire day prepping. My wife, twins and I all went to our storage unit and we worked hard and with agonizing deliberation over what to bring with us. It was difficult, to say the least, and we were limited by weight and volume.

We had some tough decisions, especially when you take into consideration the hearts of three very sensitive people. My wife, Katie, and my amazing twins Liam and Mairead are all sensitive people with generous hearts and souls.
                                                     

          

Me? I am neither sensitive nor do I have a heart or soul so my needs really are marginal!

So, back to the storyline….. We loaded ALL this stuff, I mean ALL of our valuable items that we must have in our new home 1500 miles south of there, into my truck and hauled it all to my Mother in Law’s backyard where we were staying.

The skies were clear; I piled it all up and go to bed with the intent purpose of waking up early, loading it all up peacefully and getting to Tucson, AZ around 4 in the afternoon.

Weather-wise, things had come together last minute like it seems they often do.

The story continues......