Spring Cleaning and Packing!!

I'm running a little late I think ... isn't spring cleaning supposed to be done around daylight savings time??  Actually, I guess I'm not too far off.  It used to be the time changed at the end of April ... before they decided to save even MORE time and move it to the end of March.  At any rate, I'm changing the batteries in the smoke detectors and cleaning the AC filters, all accomplished perched on top of a very tall ladder!!!  Eeeeeek!!!

All my ceilings are 12 footers, which means I have to be at the last step of my 8 foot ladder reaching up with both hands, using some of my climbing moves to hang on to the wall while removing the smoke detector 9 volt batteries.  I guess when they built this house, they wanted to be extra sure you knew if there was a fire.  Not a bad thing for sure, but with only 4 actual rooms, including a large family room / living room / dining room area, I have 8 smoke detectors!!!  That's a LOT of detecting ... and a LOT of 9 volt batteries, except for that one I can't seem to get remove.  These aren't your cheapo depo ones either.  At some point I need to get this one replaced, but for now, 7 battery replacements will have to do.

I checked out the AC filter size and made a Home Depot trip where I purchased 6 extra filters.  You know, 2 small and 4 large .... the exact opposite of what I really needed.  Darn I hate it when I do that!!!   At any rate, I did have enough to make one full exchange.

My my my ... didn't I change these last October???  These are REALLY bad!!!  No wonder I can't breathe!!  It is rather dusty in my house since I have a 20 acre empty field behind me that gets plowed every couple of months, but THIS is awful!!!

With batteries replaced and clean air, it's back to packing and arranging for a house sitter who will live here while I'm gone.  It's been raining for a couple of days now so I've left the slides in ... but today the rig needs to be opened up so I can access the closet and get all this "stuff" out of my kitchen where I've been stacking it for the last week.

Every day I think about that drive through LA traffic.  I'm pretty sure I can do it, but that doesn't mean I won't be a nervous wreck before I even get on the road.  It's got to be easier with a co-pilot who can give you directions ... but alas my co-pilots can't read ... or talk for that matter ... so I'm printing out maps and programming my GPS.  Today is Relay For Life Day in town and I've volunteered to help the Elks cook lunch and dinner for the participants.  Hopefully that will get my mind off the freeway for a few hours.  Three days and counting down to the next Adventure!!!