September 20
In which we're much too old to live this far from home.
The teeth about sum it up: Moving bites. And moving can be especially stressful if you get the bright idea to celebrate being 40 in a foreign country the week before you go!
We had a great time, though, enjoying the apartment and our good friends-- Uncles Kirk and Doug, Godparents Melissa and Dan, and Abuelita Pamela. It was also big fun taking a little side trip to Strasborg where you can buy a lump of batter-dipped, deep-fried blue cheese the size of your head.
For my 41st birthday I want liposuction.
Upon our return, Robin had a day of rest before the packers came. I had about three days of work before flying to Kansas City for the Big Drive.
We had decided that flying to Boston in an airplane cargo bay would be too stressful for the dogs and cat. Whether or not that is true, we shall never learn. What we DID learn is that the idiot cat can yowl non-stop for 13 hours straight without taking a breath or pausing for a drink. (Did I mention that the drive from KC to Boston requires two 13-hour days in the car?)
We also learned that I have the patience of a saint because said cat did not end up abandoned at one of many rest stops in Pennsylvania.
Toonces discovered, too, that I have the vocabulary of a sailor.
Other than the psychological torture, however, the move went pretty smoothly. Only a handful of items were broken or injured. Probably the worst on the list was my car which our new neighbor promptly backed into on the day of our arrival.
Note to future movers: Finding a body shop in a strange town is no picnic.
The whole unpacking bonanza went much more easily thanks to the indispensable aid of Grandma Pat and Abuelita Pamela. Grandma arrived the day before the truck and kept Owen busy as the very interesting men with very intriguing truck unloaded the curious boxes. We had to unveil a new car to keep the little one occupied and out from under foot.
Time with Grandma Pat was extra special as she had received some unhappy news shortly before our departure. It seems spots have returned to her lungs. She looks and seems to feel good. We'll know more at the end of the month after her trip to Houston to visit with cancer specialists there.
Grandma left after a week, crossing paths with Abuelita as she did. Pamela fed us non-stop for a week and worked her fingers to the bone unpacking the last of the boxes and re-arranging furniture and pictures. She brutally disparaged my choice of reading material, but otherwise was an absolute delight.
Now that everything is settled, the place has begun to feel like home. Owen's got a new school and a new routine. Every day he comes home with a project which must be solemly presented (he's got a flare for the dramatic that is definitely Uncle Kirk-esque). Said projects are on display in the new kitchen.
The dogs like their new backyard. Murray especially enjoys the easy escape routes-- he's made a prison break at least three times. I think there may be a shock collar in someone's future. Both puppies are wrestling with abandonment issues and get a little frantic everytime we take them down to the basement and leave the house.
Ironically, the only pet who is completely relaxed is the idiot cat.
