One year ago today Brian and I left our home of 25+ years to travel to Mexico. One year ago already !! And believe it or not it was a spur of the moment decision.
Happy Anniversary / Feliz Aniversario
We had spoken for years about doing it, things like, "we should move to Mexico one day", but that's all we seemed to do is talk about it. So one day, Brian was out at a medical appointment, and I made the decision to DO, not just TALK. I went on a website called "Let Go", and did just that. I took photos of everything and posted "For Sale. Everything Must Go". Within 4 hours, Brian arrived home to find me loading our BBQ in the back of a guy's truck. Brian walked over, of course looking terribly confused, and the man stuck his hand out to shake Brian's hand and said, "Congratulations on moving to Mexico" :)
Brian didn't miss a beat, talked with the guy for a couple minutes, and we both waved as he drove off. Brian looked at me and said, "So this is it, hey?". I said, "Yep, this is it. It's time." Together, we piled the rest of the stuff together that we were prepared to sell.
That is just one of the reasons why I love him so very much!
I ended up selling just about everything, big and small. The only thing we have left is one small storage locker with a few items that we just cannot replace. But everything else is gone. On the last day in Vancouver, we were driving to our hotel room and I asked Brian to take a bit of a detour. Without asking where we were going, he followed my directions, knowing something was up. We arrived at a house and a lady came outside, smiling. I asked Brian if he could please remove the license plates because this nice lady was buying our car.
We smiled, holding hands, and walked to our hotel.
Life is about living, it's about doing, it's about loving, and regardless of the time that Brian and I have together, we have fully accomplished all three, and we will continue to do so as long as humanly possible :)
Life is not about worrying "Where will the kids stay when they come home?"(They don't really care:), "What about all my stuff?" (You can buy more if you really want it), "How do I just pick up and leave?" (You just do), "What about my citizenship and medical?" (You travel home regularly so as not to nullify either).
I can hear some of you now, "It's not that easy to do". Actually it is. It's more than easy to do, it is however very difficult to fight the ideas that hold you back.
Please live your life, follow those dreams, do what you want to do, don't let life pass you by, and as my friend @drkent says, live with your eyes wide open !!
Proud Member of :
Oh Lynn such an awesome story of how both of you just decided to do it.
A lot of people would have paused and thought things out but you went ahead.
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Thank you so much @maverickinvictus! Brian and I each met our match when it comes to jumping first, and looking second haha
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It is a good way to enjoy life Lynn :)
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Just wanted to peek in and see how you are doing. I have done the up and go thing a few times. I was much younger then, I always thought I may do it again when I am older.
Seems there are a lot of travelers on Steemit. I am enjoying following along for now.
Anyway sending love and blessings to you both.
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Thank you so much @headchange! Things do tend to feel a bit "much" sometimes, the older we get, but I'm so glad we did this.
Do it :)
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Very valuable advice, @lynncoyle1.
Personally, I waste way to much energy on the ‘what if’s’. Sometimes you’ve got to stop thinking and just take the leap.
Glad you guys had the courage to just do it and make your dream come true!
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Thank you @simplymike! Yes, there will always be "what if's" regardless of the time you take trying to think of all of them. I always ask myself, "what's the worst case scenario?" and then the chances of that happening are slim to none. Every other outcome then seems really manageable :)
Life really is about learning, and sometimes you just learn from failure too. No biggie.
Hope you are on the mend!
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Well done . sometimes enough talk has been done and time to get off the pot . When you make up your mind you just go for it LOL Katy bar the door ! Congrats on the one year the hard part is over
🤡
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My father always said, in his oh so eloquent way, "either shit or get off the pot" LOL
I always knew it was the right choice, because we never had a "hard part" at all :)
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That's great . I am so glad for you both , you just don't know.
What do you think of the clown face , cute huh
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@wolfhart, stop the madness :)
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Yes yes yes!! So much kuddos to you guys for doing what youve wished to do! Couldnt agree more girl, LIVE LIFE FULLY! Every damn day! Loves and hugs! :)
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Every DAMN day is right! See?? That "damn" smylie2005 haha :)
I had a feeling you would appreciate this message :)
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Well Happy Moveiversary? LOL I think you guys made the best decision, from what both of you have mentioned. If you wait things never happen and life passes you by. I can only imagine what went through Brian's mind when he saw the BBQ in the guy's truck.
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hahaha he told me what was going through his mind, but I can't repeat it here :)
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ROFL I love it.
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Oh, what a thing to do! It always amazes me when people have the courage and resources to make incredible things like this happen! Feliz Aniversario en Mexico! 😊
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Thank you so much @thekittygirl! Every single day Brian and I look at each other at some point and one of us says, "geez, we are so lucky"!! Today, it was over a simple bike ride and stopping for some sushi ;)
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Wow! You are so brave. I like it when you ssaid Life is about living, doing and loving. The story you've shared is really inspiring.
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Thank you @kneelyrac; I appreciate that so much! :)
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I laugh. I cried. Again lol! You are indeed living your life and that is just inspiring! There is just love from both of you, commitment and trust. I think the matter of why you are doing it far outweighs the hows and ifs. It's still shocking when what you have been talking about is finally realized unexpectedly.
Shouldn't have sold the Nikon though, lol!
Congrats and happy anniversary!
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haha you're such a crybaby ;)
Yes! You get it 100% and actually brought in the idea of trust that I couldn't quite put into words.
UGH! My camera! :)
Thanks for your comment @leeart!
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I know lol! As i grow older it seems I am becomung more so.
Everything is a fruit of your love for each other.
Phone cameras are awesome nowadays anyway 😆
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I too find that I cry at the drop of a hat the older I get. I hate to put it in writing, but I think it's menopause :)
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There are stages of aging and that includes acceptance lol!
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Oh @leeart, I'm at the acceptance stage for sure, I just don't like it lol
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See, now, this is the way things work.
I want to move or do something, the likelihood of it happening is, at best 50-50.
The wife decides she wants to move or do something, then it happens. That's how we ended up where we are now, that's how we got to where we were before. I guess I did make it possible to make the move before that, but we were moving away from Southern California to Oregon with two small boys (and I was the only one familiar with the place). So, that one was on me.
The only other move we've made we were forced to do because they moved I-5 closer to the apartment we lived in.
The good thing is, I'm at home more than she is, so the chances of me coming home from anything to find she's selling the BBQ (in it's condition, good riddance), is pretty slim.
Well, congratulations on taking the initiative and taking the plunge. Just how often have you made it back to Canada since you've been down there?
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Hey Glen, I guess there is something to say for a happy wife, happy life. My ex planned for months to do something fairly simple, like a car purchase for example, so I revel in the fact that Brian is more like me. My mother has always called me a gypsy, but she says it with awe and not admonishment. I think she has plenty of regrets regarding her adventures or lack of in her life, so I like to think that she is proud of my spontaneity.
I too would move if I-5 moved closer to my apartment. I'm guessing your wife will want to move if your son and family go too far...whenever they do move out. That's not a jab by the way :)
Why is it that we hang on to bbq's for so long? Is it because they are brutal to put together I wonder :)
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In our case, the barbecue is larger, so in order not to disassemble it, there would need to be a truck to haul it with, and we don't have one. We used to have a trailer, but because we didn't use it all that often and it was just sitting outside taking up space and slowly rusting, my wife sold it off.
As far as the move because of I-5 went, we didn't have a choice. The apartments were going to be knocked down, even though they weren't really in the way of the new freeway. They were, apparently within an approach zone, or whatever they call it. Saddest thing about that was it meant the Jack In The Box that sat straight up from where we lived had to be demolished. :)
I haven't ever taken months to buy a car. Usually they sell faster than that (unless you're going to buy new, I suppose), but it has taken a few weeks from the moment we discussed buying one to the time something happened.
I once pulled off a three car trade for three more cars, without a loan or more than a few thousand down.
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@glenalbrethsen, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to wait on my response. I'm in mourning at the moment. RIP Jack In The Box. I just can't...
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Yep. Major tragedy any time a fine dining establishment is struck down in its prime.
However, this was over 25 years ago, so it's long, long gone, and if you were to pass by there today, you'd never even know it was there. I suppose they could have preserved it by making it a part of the support structure for the freeway overpass. That would have been very unique, though I wonder how shake proof it would be inside with all the cars passing several yards above it. :)
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lol... so true... I think many of our gender will see the wisdom in this statement ;)
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Hey Dave, like I just said to Glen, "happy wife, means a happy life". It's a bit tongue in cheek, but why is it I wonder that women/wives get to call those shots, or I wonder if that's commonplace? I know so many women who seem to have a need to plan, plan, plan, and perhaps because I spent my years teaching, where every minute for 10 months of the year, was planned out, that I have absolutely no interest in planning anything anymore. Also, my ex was a huge planner and had to "research" everything forever before making a decision. Brian and I decided to buy our restaurant over a pitcher of beer. A bit different, don't you think ? :)
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It's not easy but possible. I keep learning a lot from your family.
Thank you @lynncoyle1 fir sharing this with us and always being real!
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If you can learn anything from me, my family, and our actions, then my life feels very purposeful! Thank you so very much @bmotives for saying that. You have no idea how much that means to me ;)
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Ooh I didn't know that those words can mean a lot to you but it's true!
Thank you for appreciation!
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Ooh I didn't know that those world can mean a lot to you but it's true!
Thank you for appreciation!
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Wow!! You really do have the Let's Do It!!! attitude. It took me 5 months from making a decision to actually leaving UK and I though that was fast.
Love how you have so much suppport behind you !!
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I spent years married to someone who had to plan a week ahead of time whether it was going to be steak or chicken for dinner, so yes, I am now a "Let's do It" kind of gal :)
5 months is a relatively short period of time to make that kind of change; give yourself credit for that. Most people take a whole lot longer to make that kind of decision.
I too love the support I have :)
Thank you so much for yours as well!!
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Thank you for sharing your determination to move. I (we) have been looking into moving, not to another country, but to another state. Maybe we ought to follow your lead. Thanks again!
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You are so welcome! Sometimes it really is easier to just jump in with both feet :) Thank you for stopping by.
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I, like many, think what you and Brian did is amazing. Very few people live life without the if part. You two just did. I remember when we had a fire close at hand to our home, I had two of the dogs and my wallet. My wife was worried about some of the stuff, stuff does not matter, stuff can be replaced. The more stuff you have the more "but what about our stuff" crisis you have. Life is not about the stuff, "grab the dog, common lets go". What more do you really need in life.
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I just read this to Brian, and he said, "it's true!!". Even being here now, we've accumulated a few things, but whenever we are about to buy something, one of us will say, "do we really need that?", and the answer is always "no". If I had to leave at a moment's notice now, I'd grab our wallets, passports and our cat. That's it.
I think this wisdom, as usual, often comes with age. I wish someone had explained it to me earlier on in my life, but I'm not sure I would have listened. My own kids hear us talk about it, but I have a feeling they will spend a lot of years accumulating "stuff" and come to this realization later on.
Thank you @bashadow as usual for your wisdom an words.
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Wait. So you now live in Mexico? Wish I could come visit and fish. Lol. :)
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haha yes, the fishing's pretty good here lol
Anytime! I'll hook you up :)
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I always thought you went there to live out your last days and make those days really memorable. But I'm not sure if I got that right? Or is it just something I made up in my head?
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You are right. Brian wasn't going to do any more treatment, so the doctors told us that without it, he would only have so much time left. We decided to "use up" that time here instead of staying in Vancouver.
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How I hope you can enjoy so much longer. But I have to say something, sometimes it just isn't that easy. When you have nothing left to sell, and have no income, and no savings ... you just can not leave to live your dream elsewhere.
What you can do is work towards leaving and living!
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You are absolutely correct @hetty-rowan! Brian ended up on a medical pension and I quit work to care for him; his pension wasn't enough to really live comfortably in Vancouver, and we were fortunate that my brother gave us air miles to fly here. Truthfully, we live on very little here, but in the end, one of life's lessons is that you need very little to live :)
So true! Thank you for your kind words and support as well. I appreciate it very much :)
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Just in awe. And complete respect. Many of us dream so few take steps towards it. My timely reminder today.
Hope to see some posts from the new place now...and your adventures there.
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Sometimes, when I take a step back, I too am in awe :) Thank you for appreciating this "timely reminder". I was introduced to steemit once I was here, so all of my posts include "my days in Mexico" :)
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Oh, wow. Who would have thought , moving halfway down the continent would introduce you to blogging on the blockchain. Funny how life turns out.
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Right?! So strange. We've been holidaying here for years and about 8 years ago, met a guy from Canada who lived here. We stayed in touch over the years; he's still here and he's the one who introduced us to steemit. Weird.
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Amazing! :)
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I love this story Lynn and Brian! You are perfect examples of how we should all "live"... The stuff isn't important, its each other! Its why we have all come to love you both and respect the hell out of you both :)
Awesome post! Love to have this story told :D
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Thank you Dave! Your love and respect means the world to both of us! :) I'm so glad that you liked 'our' story!
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Gosh... that is very brave! I've picked up and gone for unplanned for holidays before, but this isn't the same is it?!! I'm envious... and happy for you... :))
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haha it's not quite the same, but it certainly shows you're capable of it :) Thank you so much 😅
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It can be easy to let life cruise on by. I admire you for taking the plunge and just getting down there. It seems like it's been really good for both of you, despite the circumstances. I could stand to be a little more spontaneous. :)
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It was the best decision we could have made! Brian's health would be the same no matter where we were, so being here makes it much better :)
Try doing something spontaneous once a week...kind of like a planned spontaneity haha
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That's great! I'm going to try it. Or maybe not. We'll see what I decide. Later. Oh, no! Ha ha :D
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hahaha @themanwithnoname, thought you would have some fun with that one 😂
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:D
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Thanks for sharing this life experience with us. @lynncoyle1
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Thank you so much @emmanuelacheamp! I appreciate your visit here :)
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Incredible! And congratulations on the anniversary of the move! We also had the idea to uproot and move back to Australia, but in the end we figured out we were happy here!
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Thanks!
Hey, "home" is wherever you're all happy :)
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Amazing...
I wish you all the best on this decision.
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Thank you @hermannsol! I appreciate your kindness and for you stopping by :)
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The only part I would have a hard time with is leaving those we care about behind. Those people you cannot find just anywhere. Out of all the people I have known, in the last 5 years I have met 2 great friends. Friends that if I were to move far away and lose them I would break into pieces. I have never met such true friends in my entire life. To me, they are too precious to me to leave.
A year ago when we thought about moving to a place about 2 hrs away from where I am, I cried knowing I wouldn't see my friends anymore than maybe twice a year. Traveling for them is not easy and I can't always be the one traveling. We just share a tight bond.
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When you find that kind of friendship, hold on to it!
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The kind of life you guys are living is everybody's dream... You guys are not the richest but you are the happiest... Your kind of Happiness increases life span
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Thank you @sparrowbernard. Most days I wish for Brian's health to be better, but I also choose to focus on what is good right now too!
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we have to be patient in going through these tough times in life
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Yes we do; it's all you can do.
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What a wonderful article @lynncoyle1.
I love this. It reminds me of when I sold up everything and set off backpacking around the world with my then 5 year old daughter.
I have to admit to have gotten a little more stuck in my ways since then though. At that time it didn't matter because I felt that, if I wanted to, I could always earn it all back.
Now I no longer feel that way and letting go would be even harder than it was then.
Being on Steemit though has reminded me of that part of myself and I'm starting to open to more possibilities again.
Nowadays the big tie would be the grandchildren but, once they are school age and they're not changing so rapidly, I'm thinking that maybe skype etc. will keep us regularly in contact.
But before any of that John would have to give up his job and it really does feel that there would be no way back from that.
So those are the ideas that hold me back.
I love how you just took the most important steps to your trip in one afternoon. Lucky Brian to have you to get that particular ball rolling. 😍
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That is so amazing to do it with a 5 year old! Does she remember any of it?
I hear what you're saying about grandkids and jobs too. At this age, I'd say I've removed myself from the job market so to speak, which I'm ok with, but it's a consideration for sure.
My dad always said that I was bullheaded, so I guess this is the upside to that haha
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She remembers bits and pieces @lynncoyle1 but she's not sure if they are true memories or ones she's reconstructed from conversations and photographs! 😊
Some bits are definitely remembered though. She tends to remember different bits from me as she was seeing things through her five year old eyes. It's interesting what sticks in her mind which was not significant to me and vice versa.
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Amazing story ❤️
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Thank you so much @anonymity5 !❤️
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I just have to tell you guys .... I love the love you have for each other ... I feel like I know you guys in real life .... I was talking about you guys at work today to everyone .... they were all in awe of your love for one another and your desire to enjoy every second you guys have together. The way you guys were able to pick up and just follow your dreams ❤️
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Thank you so much @anonymity5! It's funny how "feelings" develop here; about a month or so into my steemit journey I wrote a post about how it had just dawned on me that I had genuine feelings for people here and actually found myself thinking and talking about them in my real life :) Brian and I are very fortunate, and when the day comes, I'll be lost without him, but I guess that's the curse of having a great relationship. I truly hope that your health and personal life both take a turn for the better.
Thank you for your kind words :)
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Thank you ❤️
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@anonymity5, you are most welcome!
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