Index 
Palisade Move
Freedom: My glorious birthday, 71 of ‘em. The charmed sojourn to freedom continues. Today on my birthday I signed a lease on an apartment in Palisade, Colorado. As a registered sex offender I can now go anywhere, parks, bike paths, school plays and live anywhere, even next to a school. --- FREEDOM!! --- The continues a charmed apartment hunting trip. First thing in Grand Junction I checked in with the sex offender clerk. While there I asked another sex offender where I could find an apartment. He suggested a local company that helps renters find a place. I asked him whether they served sex offenders, he said, "Yes". The next day I went to the company he suggested. Without a background check they gave me keys to several apartments to see if I approved. After several days, I selected one with a long range view of the Book Cliffs and paid the search company $1500, two months' rent in advance. I sighed a great sigh of relief. The following day, January 7, amid a slush storm they informed me I didn't pass a background check and that my felony for sex crimes showed up. They said because I paid with a debit card they could refund my account. I had felt despair ever since I was informed I had to move. The despair deepened when I heard the news. I picked up a "Nickel" free advertments, and found a couple of apartments for rent. I checked out one of the options, considered taking it, but finally rejected it because it had no view. The next one was in Palisade and the owner said it was off the "frontage road". Frontage road usually are along freeways and railroads both of which are in Palisade. I drove around Palisade for a while looking for south Iowa off a "frontage road". Finally I found 940 S. Iowa, but late for my appointment. The owner, Bill Logan, was still there and showed me the first floor apartment and said the upper was also available the exact same layout. I said I preferred an upper, so we went up the outside stairway to the apartment. The minute I saw the view of Grand Mesa and the Mesa Verde Formation, I said I'll take. He agreed. That was January 8. I paid $675 for one months rent and Bill gave me the keys. I needed an address to inform the Woodstock and Illinios State Police of my change of address. So I want to the post office where Bill said I could pick up my mailbox key. The post office told me I had to have a signed lease to pickup my key. So I called Bill and asked him to deliver the lease tomorrw so we could sign. Tomorrow arrived with an ice storm that closed I-70 thought Grand Junction, but Bill soldiered on using side roads which were just as bad and arrived at Village Inn Restuarant where we both signed the lease. Thanks Bill. Turned Back at Vail: With my mailbox key in hand, I left Grand Junction. I was turned back at Vail by avalanches at Vail Pass. Back to Silt and the Red River Inn for the night. |