I got a call from Regan Ball (the mobile home seller) saying that he and his wife Lisa were having a hard time finding a place that would cash the checks I gave them at a reasonable price. I had a feelin'.
Last Friday he asked briefly if we could do the transaction via Pay Pal and when Lisa saw my genuinely confused face (since we had already agreed on checks and I wouldn't feel comfortable using Pay Pal) she said checks were fine. I figured they didn't have a checking account. Hey, I've been in that boat before and I know what a bitch it is, but man it doesn't do anything to instill more confidence in these guys.
He says he was a pole jockey cable guy and over the years it tore up his body leaving him partially disabled. He says he still does tree work for cash but I guess the bulk of his income may be disability. Lisa works at the neighborhood Winn-Dixie. So they are likely hand to mouth. Again, been there, done that. May end up that way again...who knows. My attitude about working is still the same: no desire at all.
So I called Ally Bank to see if they had sister bank relationships for payees to cash checks drawn on Ally and the rep was all like practically saying "What losers don't have checking accounts of their own?" No help there. I called the Balls back saying I'd come down with cash. Yes, I had it in cash, of course, but that was the bulk of my stash. Loaded the car with a few boxes, drove down, swapped my checks for stacks of paper, surely the largest cash transaction I think I'd ever done: $10,700 for the home and the hot tub. Or, as my paranoid-self kept screaming in my head, ten grand in real cash for a hand-written receipt and (maybe) the title.
I'd read online of cons where people have gotten multiple copies of titles and sold them to several buyers. According to one vlogger, if that happens, the first buyer to get their version of the title transferred into their name lucks out, the others are screwed. Not sure if that's true but I had to sooth my fears by reminding myself that I already got the title put in my name and, really, these guys aren't that smart to be able to even try some scam like that.
I made my return to Casselberry productive by first popping on over to the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival as I was passing it anyway. The band of the evening was "Simple Plan". Didn't ring a bell at all but their listed hit song was "Welcome to My Life" and I was thinking..."Hey, I know that one!"...but I was wrong. I was humming "Welcome to your life..." in my head: the opening line to the 80s classic "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears. That would have been awesome!
Instead these guys are some Quebec alternative band (in the style of Green Day, I'd say) hitting the charts mainly some fifteen years ago. Well, I haven't turned on the radio in twenty years so of course I'd never heard of any of their songs. But they weren't bad. A lot of their tunes' lyrics no doubt spoke to the Emo youth of that decade and I spotted a few of their now twenty-something Millennial fanbois jamming out in the audience, no doubt reminiscing to the sounds of the simpler, now ancient times of their teens...the 2000s!
It was quite chilly and I only had a t-shirt (my B-52's Mesopotamia t-shirt by coincidence, hearkening back to my fanboi status of a decidedly by-gone era of teen-angst rock) so I didn't stay long. Made only one food/beer purchase, a burnt ends beef tip slider with a maple porter from the Smokehouse kiosk at the America pavilion. The sandwich was awesome but the beer was a bit too sweet for my tastes. Thankfully it was just a 6 oz cup.
Tuesday
I'd stopped at the next door Winn-Dixie (yes, here in Casselberry) after I'd returned from Epcot and picked up a bottle of Barefoot Bubbly champagne and a six of Guinness (since it was still on a St. Patty's Day sale) so I was a bit hungover today. I totally forgot about my scheduled appointment with Dr. Gohill so, as it turns out, I guess I'll never see her again. Can't say I'm tearful. She stayed the ever-diligent robot from beginning to end. And I stayed the ever-diligent fat alchy as well. I kinda think I need more of a human doctor down in my new hometown.
I figured I'd at least check out my labs I had done last week since they post them on the health portal. She'd only ordered the liver enzyme test but in reading it, I did get concerned. My AST level was slightly high but my ALT level is through the roof. The ideal range is supposed to be between 9 to 46 U/L. Mine is 82. Googled it and sure enough, that's alcohol damage. I feel it too. The right side of my gut swelling up after eating or drinking, the occasional aches there and in my kidneys as well after drinking. I'm thinking the joint aches, muscle weakness and constant fatigue are related to this too.
Wednesday
Brought my whole silver stack and two quarter ounce gold eagles over to the neighborhood coin dealer, cashed them out for a little over $1,100 then drove on the same road in the opposite direction from home to the neighborhood branch of Fairwinds and closed my checking account taking just over $2,000 cash. Gotta replenish the box supply. My likely last gold purchase, three more quarter ounce gold eagles, should be arriving Friday. I may sell them next week to this coin guy, or maybe not. No rush. It's just that gold's been roller coastering lately and I wouldn't mind even more cash on hand if I can ride a spike.
Spent several hours packing today. About 75% done. I'll have a good load available to ferry down to the new house tomorrow. I should be able to sign the lot rental lease with the park manager as well. I went to Amscot and got two money orders, one for the deposit of $562.50 and the other for the first month's rent of $375. Hopefully no surprise "other fees."
Thursday
After delivering my load and signing the papers, I plan on again taking advantage of its placement at about the halfway point of the drive from the new house to the old (getting closer to revealing where it is...) and stopping at Epcot for at least one dish (no beer this time, I think I gotta put the kabosh on that) and attending the scheduled concert by the classic 70s band Ambrosia. Now here's some music I can sink my teeth into!
Friday
I figure I may as well utilize this last business day of this week and finish up with some final preparations. Moving day is still a ways away, planned for March 31, but why wait on some of the little tasks. Here's the tentative plan:
Return the cable boxes here to the Spectrum office in Sanford.
Call Comcast to arrange for internet service to commence April 1 at new house.
Call Duke Energy to cancel service as of April 1st here and begin it at new house (yes, same electric company.)
Change AT&T phone number to use an area code pertinent to my new home's area code. I know I don't need to do this nowadays but call me old-fashioned. Besides since it's a Pay as You Go service, I'm actually just going to cancel the current service and start a new one, costing just the $5 for a new SIM card. It'll also take care of the "undesirable calls" in one fell swoop.
NOT put in a change of address with the Post Office. That's right...NOT. You know why.
Close the AMEX Gold card.