Tonight when I got home, I decided to take a walk. I wanted to try a new routine that my pt had showed me yesterday. I was to start off with my usual warm up. After the warm, I was to stretch. Yeah, I've kind of skipped that part. And then I would use the first 15 to 20 minutes of my work out doing interval training....slow, fast, slow, fast, faster, slow again. For the last 15 to 20 minutes I would just walk at a good pace. When I was done, I was to stretch again. An amazing thing happened....I didn't limp home today as I had on Tuesday. Apparently, I wasn't stretching as much as I should. On the last leg of my trip, my muscles would start into their usual spasms making me limp home. ///
As I as on the last leg of my trip, I got to listen to all the bugs come alive. Some sounded as if they played a violin...a constant D# was held. Others sounded more like clicking...click, click, click...which the next tree would echo. It made me wonder if the bugs actually talked...the conversations are probably similar to us singletons...'Did Jon ever call you? Well that dog!' And on the other tree, 'Did Jane ever call you? Women!' ///
So the upside of my walk...I didn't limp home. The downside of my walk...I am covered with bug bites. I am not talking about one or two bites. I am talking about two dozen bites...I look like I have chicken pocks.
Thursday, September 30
Tuesday, September 28
Our house...
September 5th was the last day at the house. After a huge brunch at IHOP, we all headed over to tend to a few last details. As we finished up packing and cleaning the house, I made one final walk through. /// The house was so different empty. We lived as a family almost ten years there. It's been so long that I don't even remember when we first moved in...when the house was last empty. /// Here are the last few moments in our house....
Tuesday, September 21
New Sounds...
In our new home, there are many new sounds. Here are the few most notable...1. Dad snoring (now I am much closer to the master and can say that yes Dad snores...despite what he may believe). 2. our neighbors dog (our neighbor has a little cockerspaniel who likes to say hello to everyone and he always says hello more than once). 3. the sound of cars (I never realized how much noise that never made it through the tree to my second story room).
Friday, September 17
Why Women Take So Long in the Bathroom
My mother was a fanatic about public toilets. As a little girl, she'd bring me in the stall, teach me to wad up toilet paper and wipe the seat. Then, she'd carefully lay strips of toilet paper to cover the seat./// Finally, she'd instruct, "Never, never sit on a public toilet seat. And she'd demonstrate "The Stance," which consisted of balancing over the toilet in a sitting position without actually letting any of your flesh make contact with the Toilet seat. But by this time, I'd have wet down my leg and we'd go home. /// That was a long time ago. Even now in our more mature years, The Stance is excruciatingly difficult to maintain when one's bladder is especially full. When you have to "go" in a public bathroom, you find a line of women that makes you think there's a half-price sale on Nelly's underwear in there. So, you wait and smile politely at all the other ladies, also crossing their legs and smiling politely. And you finally get closer. You check for feet under the stall doors. Every one is occupied. /// Finally, a stall door opens and you dash, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the stall. You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't matter. You hang your purse on the door hook, yank down your pants and assume "The Stance." Relief. More relief. Then your thighs begin to shake. /// You'd love to sit down but you certainly hadn't taken time to wipe the seat or lay toilet paper on it, so you hold The Stance as your thighs experience a quake that would register an eight on the Richter scale. ///
To take your mind off it, you reach for the toilet paper. The toilet paper dispenser is empty. Your thighs shake more. You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on-that's in your purse. It will have to do. You crumble it in the puffiest way possible. It is still smaller than your thumbnail. /// Someone pushes open your stall door because the latch doesn't work and
your purse whams you in the head. "Occupied!" you scream as you reach out for the door, dropping your tissue in a puddle and falling backward, directly onto the toilet seat. You get up quickly, but it's too late. Your bare bottom has made contact with all the germs and life forms on the bare seat because you never laid down toilet paper, not that there was any, even if you had enough time to. And your mother would be utterly ashamed of you if she knew, because her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat because, frankly, "You don't know what kind of diseases you could get." /// And by this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused that it flushes, sending up a stream of water akin to a fountain and then it suddenly sucks everything do n with such force that you grab onto the toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged to China. /// At that point, you give up. You're soaked by the splashing water.
You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a Chicklet wrapper you found in your pocket, then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks. You can't figure out how to operate the sinks with the automatic sensors, so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past a line of women, still waiting, cross-legged and unable to smile politely at this point. ///
One kind soul at the very end of the line points out that you are trailing a piece of toilet paper on your shoe as long as the Mississippi River! You yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it the woman's hand and say warmly, "Here. You might need this." /// At this time, you see your man, who has entered, used and exited his bathroom and read a copy of War and Peace while waiting for you. "What took you so long?" he asks, annoyed... This is when you kick him sharply in the shin and go home. /// This is dedicated to all women everywhere who have ever had to deal with a public toilet. And it finally explains to all you men what takes us so long. ///
PS - The answer to the other question, why do women go in pairs. It's so the other woman can hold the door and hand you Kleenex.
To take your mind off it, you reach for the toilet paper. The toilet paper dispenser is empty. Your thighs shake more. You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on-that's in your purse. It will have to do. You crumble it in the puffiest way possible. It is still smaller than your thumbnail. /// Someone pushes open your stall door because the latch doesn't work and
your purse whams you in the head. "Occupied!" you scream as you reach out for the door, dropping your tissue in a puddle and falling backward, directly onto the toilet seat. You get up quickly, but it's too late. Your bare bottom has made contact with all the germs and life forms on the bare seat because you never laid down toilet paper, not that there was any, even if you had enough time to. And your mother would be utterly ashamed of you if she knew, because her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat because, frankly, "You don't know what kind of diseases you could get." /// And by this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused that it flushes, sending up a stream of water akin to a fountain and then it suddenly sucks everything do n with such force that you grab onto the toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged to China. /// At that point, you give up. You're soaked by the splashing water.
You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a Chicklet wrapper you found in your pocket, then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks. You can't figure out how to operate the sinks with the automatic sensors, so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past a line of women, still waiting, cross-legged and unable to smile politely at this point. ///
One kind soul at the very end of the line points out that you are trailing a piece of toilet paper on your shoe as long as the Mississippi River! You yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it the woman's hand and say warmly, "Here. You might need this." /// At this time, you see your man, who has entered, used and exited his bathroom and read a copy of War and Peace while waiting for you. "What took you so long?" he asks, annoyed... This is when you kick him sharply in the shin and go home. /// This is dedicated to all women everywhere who have ever had to deal with a public toilet. And it finally explains to all you men what takes us so long. ///
PS - The answer to the other question, why do women go in pairs. It's so the other woman can hold the door and hand you Kleenex.
Sunday, September 12
The big day...
Saturday...the movers were coming at 9 am. My alarm clock was set for 7:30 am. The wake up calls wound up coming much earlier. I think Mom began the wake up calls at 6:30; I finally heard her at 7...way too early in my book. ///
By 8 am I was ready for the day and packing the last few items. I finished packing my suitcase and tore all the sheets and blankets off my bed (I made sure all bedding was folded and placed in my car. The last thing I wanted to do was search for sheets at 10pm! Another lesson Jen taught me!) My bedroom was now completely bare...no books, no posters, no bears, no cozy and warm blankets. The bathroom was also completely bare...the shower curtain had been taken down, the smelly shower gels placed in a box, all drawers were now empty of life. All that was left was memories stores away in boxes.///
At nine our help arrived...the movers arrived right at 9 am. Thank goodness for puntuality. Bill showed up about that time also and Grandpa followed shortly. ///
The work was beginning. All the loose items were carried into the kitchen. Boy, there was a lot! Melanie and I had boxed everything we put our hands on. I knew that I didn't want to carry our belonging piece by piece to the new home! Two bedrooms, one bathroom and the downstairs wasn't too bad since we had boxed most of it. The worse place was the master bedroom...mom and dad's room. Was anything boxed? Half of their room was not boxed!///
The movers began with the bigger boxes and large furniture. That was the only order I could see because no two boxes in one room were packed together. The movers were two guys, early 30s. Both were tall, but one was lanky and dark (it was as if he hid something or behind something). Melanie and I referred to the movers as creepy guy and nice guy. ///
So the morning passes with lots of work. By 11:30, Mel and I were starving. (Who could believe only 2 1/2 hours had passed since the movers showed up!) We took it upon ourselves to go get food. Off we went to Subway. Only nice guy specified what he wanted at Subway. Creepy guy wanted no food. Everyone else got whatever we ordered. But I was impressed that I remember Grandpa liked a club sandwich. ///
At noon, lunch was delivered to everyone at the new house...Grandpa, Bill, mom and dad. Along with the sandwiches, we had gone to Tom Thumb for chips and oreos (made me think of Jen) and ice for drinks. Our first meal was serviced in the new den. ///
After lunch, Melanie and I went back to the old house. Most of the house was now packed into the moving van. All that was left was a living room full of boxes, lots of loose items, and a lot of cleaning to do. ///
Melanie and I had already divided up tasks...she would clean; I would continue to pack and move items downstairs and to the new house. It worked out perfect since I didn't want to clean and Melanie didn't want to box and move. Before too long everything was downstairs and Melanie was busy cleaning. ///
About that time grandpa came over. The two of us set out to move the remaining items. We started with the bigger boxes and loaded his truck as high as we could. Then we would drive the alley at 10 MPH in high hopes that nothing would be lost around a curve or bump. Three trips later, grandpa and I had moved all the remaining boxes and a large majority of loose items. ///
The new house was filling up fast. While grandpa and I drove back and forth unloading, the movers were also unloading. The furniture was being put in place and the garage was filling up with boxes. ///
By 4 pm the movers were done with their part...furniture was now disbursed around the house, boxes were stacked high in the garage, and the major appliances had been located and hooked up. The rest was up to us. Our to do list was still long...clean the backyard; gather mom's rock collection; pack, move, and clean the garage (luckily Ryan and Dad had done a major spring cleaning in the garage a week before), finishing moving loose items (which seemed to continue appear out of thin air!), finish cleaning the house and then clean the carpets. ///
Us kids continued to work at the old house while mom and dad did stuff at the new house. By 7 pm, we had minimal work left in the old house and an HUGE amount of work at the new house. We decided it was time to go home. ///
Once we all got over to the new house, we ordered Chinese. We demolished four large orders of chinese! We had four different entrees, egg rolls, steamed and fried rice, and fortune cookies. Amazingly, most of the food had disappeared in half an hour! Talk about being hungry! ///
For the rest of the evening, we all seemed to go our own ways. Mom worked on the kitchen, I worked in my room and the bathroom, Ryan worked in his room, Melanie moved boxes, and Dad worked on the master. ///
For a while I just stood in my room. Where would everything go? (I still can't answer that question.) Since I now had a wonderful walk in closet, I moved every box I could into the closet. Once I had clearned some space, I set out to move the furniture around. At first the bed went on the north wall and my desk went on the south wall, but that just didn't feel right. So I moved each piece to the opposite wall. My dresser finally was moved to the north wall beside my desk. My rocker was moved to the north wall beside my bed. And the rest of the furniture found a home too. ///
Now it was time to unload my car. In my car was my bedding, various last minute bathroom goodies, paperwork, suitcase, and a few other things. As soon as the bedding came out of my car, it went onto my bed. Though it was only nine, I was exhausted. It was my bedtime. ///
The end of moving day one had come. After talking about moving since autumn of 2003, we had finally actually moved. And for the most part we were in our new house.
By 8 am I was ready for the day and packing the last few items. I finished packing my suitcase and tore all the sheets and blankets off my bed (I made sure all bedding was folded and placed in my car. The last thing I wanted to do was search for sheets at 10pm! Another lesson Jen taught me!) My bedroom was now completely bare...no books, no posters, no bears, no cozy and warm blankets. The bathroom was also completely bare...the shower curtain had been taken down, the smelly shower gels placed in a box, all drawers were now empty of life. All that was left was memories stores away in boxes.///
At nine our help arrived...the movers arrived right at 9 am. Thank goodness for puntuality. Bill showed up about that time also and Grandpa followed shortly. ///
The work was beginning. All the loose items were carried into the kitchen. Boy, there was a lot! Melanie and I had boxed everything we put our hands on. I knew that I didn't want to carry our belonging piece by piece to the new home! Two bedrooms, one bathroom and the downstairs wasn't too bad since we had boxed most of it. The worse place was the master bedroom...mom and dad's room. Was anything boxed? Half of their room was not boxed!///
The movers began with the bigger boxes and large furniture. That was the only order I could see because no two boxes in one room were packed together. The movers were two guys, early 30s. Both were tall, but one was lanky and dark (it was as if he hid something or behind something). Melanie and I referred to the movers as creepy guy and nice guy. ///
So the morning passes with lots of work. By 11:30, Mel and I were starving. (Who could believe only 2 1/2 hours had passed since the movers showed up!) We took it upon ourselves to go get food. Off we went to Subway. Only nice guy specified what he wanted at Subway. Creepy guy wanted no food. Everyone else got whatever we ordered. But I was impressed that I remember Grandpa liked a club sandwich. ///
At noon, lunch was delivered to everyone at the new house...Grandpa, Bill, mom and dad. Along with the sandwiches, we had gone to Tom Thumb for chips and oreos (made me think of Jen) and ice for drinks. Our first meal was serviced in the new den. ///
After lunch, Melanie and I went back to the old house. Most of the house was now packed into the moving van. All that was left was a living room full of boxes, lots of loose items, and a lot of cleaning to do. ///
Melanie and I had already divided up tasks...she would clean; I would continue to pack and move items downstairs and to the new house. It worked out perfect since I didn't want to clean and Melanie didn't want to box and move. Before too long everything was downstairs and Melanie was busy cleaning. ///
About that time grandpa came over. The two of us set out to move the remaining items. We started with the bigger boxes and loaded his truck as high as we could. Then we would drive the alley at 10 MPH in high hopes that nothing would be lost around a curve or bump. Three trips later, grandpa and I had moved all the remaining boxes and a large majority of loose items. ///
The new house was filling up fast. While grandpa and I drove back and forth unloading, the movers were also unloading. The furniture was being put in place and the garage was filling up with boxes. ///
By 4 pm the movers were done with their part...furniture was now disbursed around the house, boxes were stacked high in the garage, and the major appliances had been located and hooked up. The rest was up to us. Our to do list was still long...clean the backyard; gather mom's rock collection; pack, move, and clean the garage (luckily Ryan and Dad had done a major spring cleaning in the garage a week before), finishing moving loose items (which seemed to continue appear out of thin air!), finish cleaning the house and then clean the carpets. ///
Us kids continued to work at the old house while mom and dad did stuff at the new house. By 7 pm, we had minimal work left in the old house and an HUGE amount of work at the new house. We decided it was time to go home. ///
Once we all got over to the new house, we ordered Chinese. We demolished four large orders of chinese! We had four different entrees, egg rolls, steamed and fried rice, and fortune cookies. Amazingly, most of the food had disappeared in half an hour! Talk about being hungry! ///
For the rest of the evening, we all seemed to go our own ways. Mom worked on the kitchen, I worked in my room and the bathroom, Ryan worked in his room, Melanie moved boxes, and Dad worked on the master. ///
For a while I just stood in my room. Where would everything go? (I still can't answer that question.) Since I now had a wonderful walk in closet, I moved every box I could into the closet. Once I had clearned some space, I set out to move the furniture around. At first the bed went on the north wall and my desk went on the south wall, but that just didn't feel right. So I moved each piece to the opposite wall. My dresser finally was moved to the north wall beside my desk. My rocker was moved to the north wall beside my bed. And the rest of the furniture found a home too. ///
Now it was time to unload my car. In my car was my bedding, various last minute bathroom goodies, paperwork, suitcase, and a few other things. As soon as the bedding came out of my car, it went onto my bed. Though it was only nine, I was exhausted. It was my bedtime. ///
The end of moving day one had come. After talking about moving since autumn of 2003, we had finally actually moved. And for the most part we were in our new house.
The Day Before
Since there was so much to do, I had left work early. Shortly after 4 pm, I got home. I grabbed a bit to eat and sat and talked with Mom. By 5 pm I had changed and was packing. I still had a few things to pack in my bedroom and bathroom. While packing it had become a habit to watch Coyote Ugly. Good music, cute guy, and chic starting a new life somewhere different. The perfect movie to watch as I loaded all my belonging into boxes. ///
We all packed until 6:30. At that time our stomachs were telling us it was time to stop. Ryan and Dad went one way and us girls went another way. Mom, Melanie and I headed over to Mexigo's. The down time was spent planning the itenary for the next day as well as making a short Target list. After dinner, we headed to Target for celaning supplies, water and paper to line the new cabinets. ///
Before the evening ended, I had finished packing my room and bathroom. I also packed a suitcase for the next week...just in case choas were to break out and all clothing is lost (a trick Jen taught me). ///
Tomorrow was the big day!
We all packed until 6:30. At that time our stomachs were telling us it was time to stop. Ryan and Dad went one way and us girls went another way. Mom, Melanie and I headed over to Mexigo's. The down time was spent planning the itenary for the next day as well as making a short Target list. After dinner, we headed to Target for celaning supplies, water and paper to line the new cabinets. ///
Before the evening ended, I had finished packing my room and bathroom. I also packed a suitcase for the next week...just in case choas were to break out and all clothing is lost (a trick Jen taught me). ///
Tomorrow was the big day!
Friday, September 3
We are moving!
I can't believe it! The day has come. It's sad and exciting. I have finished boxing my room. Everything I own is boxed and labeled. I can't believe my entire life is boxed up! Wow!
Wednesday, September 1
"You learn by living"
"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face...You must do the thing you think you cannot do." Elenor Roosevelt, "You learn by Living"
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