Part I - Getting On the Road

It rained like crazy the day we left Boulder, so we didn't take time to stand and feel the weight of leaving.  We just locked the door behind us and ran for the cars, after a quick goodbye to our friend Kim, who was helping us clean, and to Gayle, our friend and landlady, who arrived to prepare for a new tenant.  We were a little late heading out, since it took time to coax Vader (our cat) down from the high cupboard where he was hiding, and get him into his carrier.  Inside the car, Kristin called over the walkie-talkie to say that Vader was snug in place, and we were ready to go.  It took three times turning the key for my car to start, and I thought, "Funny, it's never done that before"  

We stopped at the bank, after which it took me four tries to start the car.  The next stop was the grocery store for road provisions, where it took five tries.  At the gas station it took six.  Kristin and I had a short pow-wow, and determined the following: We had just packed all our possessions, save those we had sold or given away, into two very overloaded vehicles.  We had a cat breaking his claws trying to get out of his carrier, and we had locked our home behind us.  We were getting soaked in the rain, and, come hell or high water, we were getting on the road.  It was determined that I should leave my car running everywhere I could, and only turn it off at gas stations.  As a precaution, I would only fuel up in places with a reasonable mechanic.