Spring Time in California

Yes, even out here where it never snows we get spring flowers. This is the walk up to my front door. Lots of color to brighten the day. Click on image to enlarge.

Easter - OK, a little late

I went to Crystal Cathedral for the evening Easter service. This picture from my cell phone is not too good but it shows that the entire stage was filled with flowers. Even the cross was covered with flowers.

Auction March 30

NOTE: THIS ITEM IS UP FOR SALE ON SATURDAY, MARCH 31
The Duke and Dutchess of Leeds are going on the auction block March 30 at Eldred's in Dennis, MA. Check out the link: http://www.eldreds.com/sales/detail.php?itemID=104602

I think it will be simultaneous on live Ebay but the estaimated value is very low so perhaps not worth watching.

Very sad to think of the many years these two looked over us in the music room.
Also see the tall case clock for the June auction at Eldred's
http://www.eldreds.com/sales/detail.php?itemID=105846

Pictures have Arrived

The 436 slides from Elmcroft that we had digitized have arrived. We probably threw away more than that of slides that we could not identify or slides from various trips to Europe that mom took. I will try to post some on Snapfish. At some point I will catalog them all so that future generations will know what each one is.

Isn't Andy cute? ................Those were the days - snow at Elmcroft

Office Guest Chairs

These are better overall views of the office to give you all an idea as to why I cannot put the desk in the middle of the room. Besides, all the wires hanging under the front edge would look aweful. I have a surge strip under there, a few of those power modules and lots of bundled wires. So, I got two guest chairs tonight just in time for my first two clients on Saturday. I had seen these at Office Depot a week ago and they told me they were $25 each. I shopped a bit and went back last weekend only to be told that they were now $54 each. Tonight I drove all over the place looking for something - even Ikea - and couldn't find anything decent for less than $80. So, I went back to Office Depot annd asked the price again. The lady told me $54 again and then she said that two weeks ago they were on sale fo $16.99 each. I offered her the $16.99 and after checking with the manager I got them for that price. Yes, yes, I know. Now I have enough money left over to buy a new task chair for myself. Ok, one thing at a time.

Home Office at 50% +

The Rumbold Financial & Tax Advisory home office is well on its way to completion. All the computer gear is now connected, functional, and neatly tucked in around the edges. The cable modem, wireless router, external backup hard drive, printer server and the two printers are all located in the wall unit to the right. The computer, scanner and new flat monitor are on the desk. I avoided having to have a new cable outlet put in the wall behind the wall unit by running the cable from the opposite wall under the edge of the carpet. Next I need to tackle the bookshelf and get all the files organized. Then hang my diplomas and a few pictures.

SETTLED!

The two little fern plants that Andy and Dorinda gave me up on Cape Cod are now settled in their new home in the greenhouse window of the kitchen. They made it across country on the floor of the passenger seat although I had to bring them in at night to keep them from freezing. Imagine, I took the southern route across country to avoid winter weather and I ran into winter weather.

The moving van arrived Saturday morning and so far I have set up sleeping, bathing and eating facilities. I also got a washer and dryer so I can do laundry. Next is getting my office set up so I can start meeting clients. My three piece black wall unit doesn't fit so I will have to take it apart and use two of the pieces separate. But before that I have to get my internet service set up.

ARRIVED!

I arrived in California at 4 PM PST today. Most of the entire trip was in cold rain. When I left Andy & Dorinda's on Monday it was raining all through PA but overcast and mostly dry down through the backbone of Virginia and into North Carrolina. The trip from North Carolina to Houston on Tuesday took about 14.5 hours and was mostly rain, heavy at times. When I left Houston on Thursday it was raining. The freezing rain was in the north of Houston. When I got to San Antonio there was ice covering the trees and big icicles hanging from the the street signs. There was a lot of ice piled on the sides of the freeway. When I left Las Cruces, New Mexico at 5 AM on Friday it was raining and 34 degrees over the Continental Divide. It rained heavy all the way through Phoenix and across the California border. When I got to Orange County this afternoon, it was sunny and 70 degrees. I'm a little dazed right now. My furniture arrives tomorrow morning.

Many thanks to Andy & Dorinda for the room on Sunday night. Sorry for the short visit. The visit with mom's friend from Sumatra on Monday evening was very rewarding. Part of the letting go process. Also, many thanks to Melissa and Rob for the room on Tuesday and Wednesday night and for the wonderful tour of NASA. A new chapter now begins and I place my trust in God for what the future brings.

Mission Control Center Houston

Melissa and Rob took Jonathan and I on a private tour of the NASA Houston space center. We toured the simulators for the Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS). Then we were allowed into the Mission Control Center (MCC) for the ISS. We also toured the mockup training building for the space shuttle and ISS. Click on pictures to enlarge.

ISS MCC ....................................Sitting at the ADCO console
ADCO = Attitude Determination & Control Officer (One of Melissa's roles)


Shuttle MCC ............................. Old Apollo MCC


Shuttle mockup ....................... Robot arm mockup trainer


Payload bay mockup

Grace Goodell

Grace Goodell is a friend of mom's from the days in Sumatra in the 1930's and Malaya in 1947. Grace and her husband Val came to Boenot, Sumatra in 1935. My mom and dad had been there since 1933. Grace, Vall and their three children had a harrowing escape from Sumatra in 1942 as the Japanese were occupying the island. They managed to get a boat around the cape of South America and about a day out from New Orleans their ship evaded a German torpedo. Grace is 98 years old, still drives and is very lively. We had dinner together in her retirement community in Hendersonville, NC. Then we went back to her apartment and I showed her the DVD movies from Sumatra. She identified the man at the beginning ad Bill Giddings. We also looked at the picture album of Sumatgra photos. We both had a wonderful time and parting was a sweet sorrow.

California Bound

After a very tumultuous year, I have decided to return to California and pick up where I left off. I have secured a part-time consulting assignment with my previous employer - Cemtek Environmental and I hope to secure other consulting assignments with business owners that I know in the area. These assignments are and will be in line with my personal financial planning career ambitions. I will also be greaing up my tax practice by springboarding off the 25 clients I currently have in California. I have a home in Irvine under contract. It is a small home with a den that I will use as an office for my tax practice until I get it going in a few years and can afford a real office. Strangely enough, the home is in the Woodbridge area of Irvine.





I will be driving across country, leaving on the 15th and stopping at the Greens for a day or two.

New Year's at Elmcroft

George and Barbara spent New Year with me at Elmcroft. On New Years Eve Bruce and Mary came over for dinner. Dick Strong and Maryanne stopped by for a brief visit. During the evening we watched Laurel and Hardy in March of the Wooden Soldiers on DVD. We also watched the home movies that I had converted to DVD. We were surprised to find two clips of movies from Sumatra in the early 1930's. There are scenes from Lake Toba, Berstagi, and the plantation in Kisaren. Quite a treasure. I will have additional copies made to distribute. The remainder of the clips are family vacations to Maine, Cape Cod, Coumbia Lake in Connecticut, and many clips from Elmcroft. Many of them are in very poor condition from water damage.

On New Years Day George, Barbara and I viewed all of the 35mm slides and sorted about 400 as keepers. Once I catalog them, they will be sent out for scanning so they can be shared with the family. Karen, Doug, Rachel. Emely and Jacob came over for lunch and the kids tore up the house - something my mom loved. I guess this will be the very last gathering. A sad ending and new beginnings.

Check out listing

Check out the Elmcroft listing on Realtor.com. There are two listings, one for the house and one for the coach house. Yes, I know there are mistakes and I am working on getting them corrected so don't post a comment about them.
http://www.realtor.com/Prop/1073193771
http://www.realtor.com/Prop/1073193772

Elmcroft Listed!

The Elmcroft Estate is now officially listed for sale. The minor interior repairs are completed and the house has been staged for showing.

Carriage House Repairs Finished

Willis has completed the repairs to the Carraige House. The new stable windows are in and the siding is finished. He even completed the awning roof over the stable door and the loft door. The painting will be done in the spring. Click on photos to enlarge.

Bathroom Floor Finished

Thursday Willis put down the new plywood over the existing plywood subfloor. Saturday Amity Floors installed the new linoleum and Willis came and re-installed the toilet. I did some caulking and I painted the baseboard. The only thing left is to get the painter to repair the wall.

Bathroom Floor Repairs

Willis started the bathroom floor repairs today. The realtor had noticed that the floor was soft next to the tub where the leak was. We found two layers of linoleum and particle board over plywood. The particle board near the tub was dry since the leak had been fixed a few weeks ago but it was mostly just flakes. Then Willis found that under the toilet was all wet and the particle board was like wet sawdust. It didn't seem that the water from the toilet got below the floor. New plywood will be installed and on Saturday we have new linoleum being put down.

Thanksgiving at Elmcroft

We celebrated Thanksgiving today (Saturday) at Elmcroft because George was in Minnesota with Laurie. Doug and Karen and their three kids joined Andy, Dorinda, Dimples, George and I. Remembrances were made to those not with us any more - Our dear mother Adelaide, Elaine, and Doug's father. Sadly, this will be that last holiday gathering of the Rumbold clan at Elmcroft. Most of us are going to other family for Christmas and the property will go on the market soon.

Melissa will be pleased to know that I replaced all the sockets in the chandelier so there is no more flickering.

House Steps

The masonry contractor we hired has finished the front and side steps. I don't have before pictures but the front steps were crumbling away. The side door steps just needed re-pointing because there was moss growing in the mortar.

Carriage House Progress

Willis had to have custom bead board made to repair the soffet on the back of the carriage house. It had previously been repaired with plywood.

Before --------------------------------After
(Click pictures to enlarge)

Today he is starting on the stable siding, even before the windows arrive. He stripped off the clapboards and he is reinstalling them to close the gap at the top and to be horizontal. When done you will never know that the wall is sloping.

Notice gap at upper left ----------------now closed