I blogged yesterday about the neighbor across the street, and that I was going to make Mac & Cheese for the family. Well, I did. I didn't want, expect or need anything for it. I did it because it's what I felt I should do.
Today, I went shopping (more about that in a bit). When I got home, and after the girls got off the bus, I was sitting here at my computer catching up on some emails. Not long after the girls came in, the doorbell rang. When I answered it, it was the wife of the gentleman that had passed, and their older son.
As I opened the door, I was met with, not a just a smile, but a warm hug and words of thanks and appreciation. As we introduced ourselves (because, remember, aside from waving across the street and saying "good morning" as we passed one another, we were strangers), they continued to thank me. I was awed by their strength, their acceptance of what had happened, and their grace.
Their coming over made me feel so good, not because I need or wanted recognition, but because it opened a door, a dialogue. In some ways, this has made us more neighbors than we were previously. I won't deny that it made me feel good to know that they appreciated the thought, but that wasn't the most important thing. The important thing was that, in a moment when their world is upside down, they were given comfort.
When you do something like this, too, for someone you don't really know, you aren't always sure that it will be met with the intentions you had in doing it. Some people don't want anyone to interfere into their lives, don't want to open themselves up to sharing their grief or pain. It's not always easy to accept help, of any sort, with grace. Believe me, this is something I know all too well.
And yet, the compliments I received, I don't see them as compliments to me, as much as I see them as compliments to my parents. What I did, I did because it's how I was raised. I was raised to be caring and compassionate, to provide when I can, to do everything in my power to help ease suffering. Sometimes I don't do the things I feel I should because there's too much risk to it - picking up a hitchhiker, offering shelter to a stranger - and I always feel guilty. But I do what I can, and I try to make my parents proud.
I do these things, too, to teach my daughters the lessons I was taught. I strive to instill in them a sense of goodwill and responsibility towards those that need us, for whatever reason. I hope that, when they're grown and on their own, that I get a call someday saying, "Mom, you got the nicest compliment today...."
Friday, December 2, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
May The Circle Be Unbroken
Our neighbor across the street died last night. Lung cancer. Very sad.
I hadn't formally met the man; we've only been here since August, and in that time I have been swamped with health issues of my own. However, anytime he was outside on his porch, he smiled and waved, and I've said "good morning" to his two grown sons every day as I walk the kids to school.
When the police, firetruck and ambulance showed up last night, I knew something had happened. I suspected that he had passed away, but hoped that he was just in need of the hospital. Being the Southern girl that I am, when I saw all the other neighbors outside, I went and joined them. That's when I found out that he had, in fact, died.
We all stood about, talking, and generally just being there. We stayed out of the family's way, in front of our own yards instead of theirs, visible, though, letting them know we were there, and they were in our thoughts.
Of course, the first thing that popped into my mind when I found out what had happened was, "I need to go make macaroni and cheese casserole." A true testament to my heritage and background, the first thing that entered my mind was feeding the family. The first food that entered my mind was baked mac & cheese.
You see, where I come from, and from what I understand, in the rest of The South, food is what we do for the grieving. It's what I've always known. I'll never forget, I was back home when my Papa died (also of lung cancer), and as soon as he had been taken to the funeral home, people started showing up with casserole dishes, baskets of biscuits and buckets of fried chicken.
It's just The Southern Way, and more than any words, it conveys our sorrow, our solidarity, and our love. It's what Southern women have been doing for generations. It's what I feel the overwhelming need to do.
So off to the grocery I go - I need to pick up a toss away pan and some elbow noodles; I have some comfort to make.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Just another day in paradise....
Ah, it's beautiful here in New Orleans. Bright, blue sky, no clouds. The air is crisp, humidity is low. The leaves are falling, adding a colorful pop to the landscape. Everything outside is just lovely, and it brightens the mood a bit. I'm loving having a bit of seasonal change this year!
We've been here in New Orleans (well, Kenner, but that means nothing to people who don't know the area...) for a little over three months now, and boy has it been busy! We started off here with Heather in the hospital, and discovering that she has a bit of a kidney issue. Then, I got in to an endocrinologist to get back on thyroid medications, only to find out that my thyroid cancer is active again. So, I quickly learned how to get around three different hospitals in a very short space of time! However, treatment for both of us is under way, and hopefully things will be right soon.
We're really settling in, too. The girls are starting to love their school and make friends - Aliceon was named student of the year, and Heather already has a boyfriend! Hans is enjoying work, even if it is challenging at times. Me, well, I'm me. I'm trying to make friends, but it's always a slow go. It'll come, though - it always does.
That's not to say that we don't miss everyone in Florida - we do, so very, very much - but such is our life as a construction family. The downside is that we have to say goodbye to friends every few years, but the upside is that we have so many friends in so many places, and have made lifelong connections that, if we weren't as nomadic as we are, we never would have met. Friends that have been there with, and for, us through some great times, and through some tough times. Friends that we will always love. Friends that are more "family" than "friend."
But I digress - forgive me, my brain is bouncing around inside my head like a rogue rubber ball!
So anyway, since we've been here, things have been moving quickly, and the unpacking/setting up house hasn't gotten done as quickly as I would like, but it's getting there. Right now I'm working on getting the family room completely finished. It's unpacked, however there's nothing organized on the shelves, with the exception of one bookcase. We're also getting the dining room set up, because we're hosting the holidays here this year. I'm excited about that, too!
Today is cleaning and unpacking. Trying to get it all done while running a busy household isn't easy, but I think I'm up to the challenge! Marathoning today, then tonight, it's off to the French Quarter for a Christmas Tree Lighting with the girls, Hans and his parents.
Settling in. Yep, we're getting there! Just another day in the paradise of our making.
We've been here in New Orleans (well, Kenner, but that means nothing to people who don't know the area...) for a little over three months now, and boy has it been busy! We started off here with Heather in the hospital, and discovering that she has a bit of a kidney issue. Then, I got in to an endocrinologist to get back on thyroid medications, only to find out that my thyroid cancer is active again. So, I quickly learned how to get around three different hospitals in a very short space of time! However, treatment for both of us is under way, and hopefully things will be right soon.
We're really settling in, too. The girls are starting to love their school and make friends - Aliceon was named student of the year, and Heather already has a boyfriend! Hans is enjoying work, even if it is challenging at times. Me, well, I'm me. I'm trying to make friends, but it's always a slow go. It'll come, though - it always does.
That's not to say that we don't miss everyone in Florida - we do, so very, very much - but such is our life as a construction family. The downside is that we have to say goodbye to friends every few years, but the upside is that we have so many friends in so many places, and have made lifelong connections that, if we weren't as nomadic as we are, we never would have met. Friends that have been there with, and for, us through some great times, and through some tough times. Friends that we will always love. Friends that are more "family" than "friend."
But I digress - forgive me, my brain is bouncing around inside my head like a rogue rubber ball!
So anyway, since we've been here, things have been moving quickly, and the unpacking/setting up house hasn't gotten done as quickly as I would like, but it's getting there. Right now I'm working on getting the family room completely finished. It's unpacked, however there's nothing organized on the shelves, with the exception of one bookcase. We're also getting the dining room set up, because we're hosting the holidays here this year. I'm excited about that, too!
Today is cleaning and unpacking. Trying to get it all done while running a busy household isn't easy, but I think I'm up to the challenge! Marathoning today, then tonight, it's off to the French Quarter for a Christmas Tree Lighting with the girls, Hans and his parents.
Settling in. Yep, we're getting there! Just another day in the paradise of our making.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Fly Me To The Moon
We've truly been here - in the house, with our stuff - for a month now. No, the house isn't completely unpacked, but it is now unpacked and settled to a point that it feels like home. We've also celebrated our first family holiday here - our 11th wedding anniversary. I think that we're really feeling like we're home, finally! I'm not nearly as overwhelmed as I was even last week. There's still a lot to do, but there's so much that has been accomplished. Hans has worked so hard to make things "ours," too, which is always a big deal. And we have a working freezer! Yay!
Here's to getting the last of the settling completed in the next two weeks!
Here's to getting the last of the settling completed in the next two weeks!
Saturday, September 10, 2011
I just want to live happily ever after every now and then....
This week has been a challenging one. Last weekend, we were housebound by Tropical Storm Lee. We didn't sustain any damage, and the yard got a much needed thorough soaking, so that was good. We also got a lot done inside the house, so that was another plus! But by the time Tuesday rolled around, everyone was ready to get out. Thankfully, Tuesday also brought cooler temperatures and lower humidity, which lifted morale. Tuesday also brought, though, the loss of a new friend to cancer, which pretty much cancelled out any happy in the day.
Beyond that, there were battles with the school (resolved!), battles with the doctor's office (partially resolved) and battles with the appliance retailer who is supposed to be fixing our freezer (possibly solved, but remains to be seen). Then, of course, there was all the normal mundane weekly stuff - trying to stay on top of housekeeping while also unpacking, homework, errands. Throw in two days of migraine, one of which had me in bed much of the day, and well, it was just challenging.
The week ended on a positive note, though - yesterday, things were accomplished, and we have a family room, kitchen, pantry and hall closet, all between 90 and 100% set up. It would have been done sooner, but I keep finding boxes for for rooms in odd places - a box of our bed linens, unmarked, in the dining room. A box for the kitchen in the guest room. A couple of garage boxes in the family room... It tends to slow the unpacking just a bit, because you think you have a room done - it's cleared of boxes! - only to find more for that room elsewhere, so you have to rearrange things in that room yet again.
Still, last night was much more comfortable. Hans worked late, but since the girls hadn't seen him since Wednesday morning, we waited dinner on him (it was Friday, after all!), and all ate together in the family room while watching Eureka. After dinner, we stood around the kitchen, munching pineapple as Hans cut it. It was happy. It was relaxing. It was so very necessary to all of our sanity.
When you move, you tend to get so caught up in all the things that have to be done, that sometimes you forget to stop and just be. That's happened a lot more than usual to me this move. Of course, this move has been so different for me than any of our previous relocations - this is the first time I have had to put a kid in the hospital, the first time I've had to immediately register kids for school, and the first time that Hans didn't move before us, getting some of the less fun bits out of the way beforehand. It was a bit like being used to easing into a warm pool from the shallow end, and suddenly being told that, this time, the water's 50 degrees, and you have to jump straight into the 8 ft section - it's getting done, but there was a period of shock where I just flailed around while trying to adjust.
Still, I think we're getting to a place of normalcy. We have a semblance of a routine. The kids are settling into school. They're beginning to make friends, and while I may not be making friends as such just yet, I am at least talking to people in the neighborhood and at school. Hans is back to being the Hans I know - working, slightly harried, but happier, more even keeled. Marriage is feeling more like a partnership and less like a job again. Things are much better, even if not perfect.
That's what we all strive for, isn't it? No one expects life to truly be fairy tale. We know that Prince Charming ends up with a soft midsection and gnarly toenails, and that Cinderella sometimes has a giant pimple, frizzed hair and pounds that just won't come off. But still, the happy is there. The love is there. You can look at each other and say, "yeah, we're older now, we're different now, but look at what we've come through together, and look at what we get to look forward to!" Like a friend, who just celebrated her second wedding anniversary, posted on her Facebook page, marriage is a series of valleys and peaks, and while the peaks are awesome and the valleys are tough, it's the valleys that make the peaks peaks (I'm paraphrasing a bit here - I hope, if she reads this, she'll forgive me!).
Next week we'll celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary. We're in our fifth home since getting married, sixth since meeting 13 years ago. And, while we're so different than we were back then, one thing's the same - I still feel the "happily ever after," even if it's only moments here and there. It's the moments of happily ever after, and the days and weeks of happily right now that make it all work. It's the knowing that, while not every moment is full of romance and passion, there is still romance and passion there.
So like Uncle Jimmy sings:
Take it from me cuz I found
If you leave it then somebody else is bound
To find that treasure, that moment of pleasure
When yours, it could have been
Some people never find it
Some... only pretend, but me:
I just want to live happily ever after every now and then
Beyond that, there were battles with the school (resolved!), battles with the doctor's office (partially resolved) and battles with the appliance retailer who is supposed to be fixing our freezer (possibly solved, but remains to be seen). Then, of course, there was all the normal mundane weekly stuff - trying to stay on top of housekeeping while also unpacking, homework, errands. Throw in two days of migraine, one of which had me in bed much of the day, and well, it was just challenging.
The week ended on a positive note, though - yesterday, things were accomplished, and we have a family room, kitchen, pantry and hall closet, all between 90 and 100% set up. It would have been done sooner, but I keep finding boxes for for rooms in odd places - a box of our bed linens, unmarked, in the dining room. A box for the kitchen in the guest room. A couple of garage boxes in the family room... It tends to slow the unpacking just a bit, because you think you have a room done - it's cleared of boxes! - only to find more for that room elsewhere, so you have to rearrange things in that room yet again.
Still, last night was much more comfortable. Hans worked late, but since the girls hadn't seen him since Wednesday morning, we waited dinner on him (it was Friday, after all!), and all ate together in the family room while watching Eureka. After dinner, we stood around the kitchen, munching pineapple as Hans cut it. It was happy. It was relaxing. It was so very necessary to all of our sanity.
When you move, you tend to get so caught up in all the things that have to be done, that sometimes you forget to stop and just be. That's happened a lot more than usual to me this move. Of course, this move has been so different for me than any of our previous relocations - this is the first time I have had to put a kid in the hospital, the first time I've had to immediately register kids for school, and the first time that Hans didn't move before us, getting some of the less fun bits out of the way beforehand. It was a bit like being used to easing into a warm pool from the shallow end, and suddenly being told that, this time, the water's 50 degrees, and you have to jump straight into the 8 ft section - it's getting done, but there was a period of shock where I just flailed around while trying to adjust.
Still, I think we're getting to a place of normalcy. We have a semblance of a routine. The kids are settling into school. They're beginning to make friends, and while I may not be making friends as such just yet, I am at least talking to people in the neighborhood and at school. Hans is back to being the Hans I know - working, slightly harried, but happier, more even keeled. Marriage is feeling more like a partnership and less like a job again. Things are much better, even if not perfect.
That's what we all strive for, isn't it? No one expects life to truly be fairy tale. We know that Prince Charming ends up with a soft midsection and gnarly toenails, and that Cinderella sometimes has a giant pimple, frizzed hair and pounds that just won't come off. But still, the happy is there. The love is there. You can look at each other and say, "yeah, we're older now, we're different now, but look at what we've come through together, and look at what we get to look forward to!" Like a friend, who just celebrated her second wedding anniversary, posted on her Facebook page, marriage is a series of valleys and peaks, and while the peaks are awesome and the valleys are tough, it's the valleys that make the peaks peaks (I'm paraphrasing a bit here - I hope, if she reads this, she'll forgive me!).
Next week we'll celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary. We're in our fifth home since getting married, sixth since meeting 13 years ago. And, while we're so different than we were back then, one thing's the same - I still feel the "happily ever after," even if it's only moments here and there. It's the moments of happily ever after, and the days and weeks of happily right now that make it all work. It's the knowing that, while not every moment is full of romance and passion, there is still romance and passion there.
So like Uncle Jimmy sings:
Take it from me cuz I found
If you leave it then somebody else is bound
To find that treasure, that moment of pleasure
When yours, it could have been
Some people never find it
Some... only pretend, but me:
I just want to live happily ever after every now and then
Friday, August 26, 2011
Trying to reason with hurricane season....
To those of you that have been reading, I apologize for the absence. Things got a little insane there for a bit. First I was back in Orlando to meet the packers and movers to get the house there loaded and moved to the new house here. Then, everything was coming about 4 days earlier than we had been planned, so I had to rush back here to meet the movers (I literally was on the road with them, passing them twice - once in Pensacola and once in Mobile - under the Mobile Bay, to be exact!!). Because of the change in delivery, Hans hadn't had a chance to get internet hooked up yet, and the internet at the hotel didn't like talking to my laptop.
It didn't end there - I arrived on Thursday night, August 4th. Our belongings arrived on Friday, August 5th. on Sunday, August 7th, Heather started getting sick, running a fever and unable to keep anything down, and on Monday, August 8th, she was admitted to the hospital. We ended up having to stay in the hospital until that Friday, August 12th, with a final diagnosis of severe recurrent pyelonephritis (kidney infection). So, I lost, essentially, a week of unpacking/set up time. Then, on August 15, the kids started school, and on that day we also started a string of doctor's appointments for Heather to figure out what exactly is going on with her body, along with all the meetings at school to get everything set up for both Heather and Aliceon for the year!
So, yeah, it's been a bit crazy, and there just hasn't been down time for getting on the computer. I've checked in on Facebook, but only from my phone, for the most part. Things are starting to sort themselves out a bit, now, though. The kitchen is working now (though there are still a few things I need to find/unpack), the kids rooms are functional, as is our room, though not fully unpacked. Of course, part of the reason for that is that we're still figuring out where things are going!
I'm loving being a stay at home mom, too. This is the first time I've been a SAHM with both kids in school. Before Hans was laid off, I was a SAHM, but Heather was home, and I spent my weeks running her to therapy appointments and myself to doctor's appointments. This time around I'm making it a point to try to have dinner ready for Hans when he gets home, keeping the laundry up (though I'm failing at that a bit) and ironing and starching Hans' work shirts. I'm finding, too, that I'm really enjoying it, although living among these boxes is still making me anxious. Soon, though, it will all be done!
So that's what's going on through the window. Still integrating, but finding my Southern roots again, while learning that Louisiana is a different animal all together than Georgia!
It didn't end there - I arrived on Thursday night, August 4th. Our belongings arrived on Friday, August 5th. on Sunday, August 7th, Heather started getting sick, running a fever and unable to keep anything down, and on Monday, August 8th, she was admitted to the hospital. We ended up having to stay in the hospital until that Friday, August 12th, with a final diagnosis of severe recurrent pyelonephritis (kidney infection). So, I lost, essentially, a week of unpacking/set up time. Then, on August 15, the kids started school, and on that day we also started a string of doctor's appointments for Heather to figure out what exactly is going on with her body, along with all the meetings at school to get everything set up for both Heather and Aliceon for the year!
So, yeah, it's been a bit crazy, and there just hasn't been down time for getting on the computer. I've checked in on Facebook, but only from my phone, for the most part. Things are starting to sort themselves out a bit, now, though. The kitchen is working now (though there are still a few things I need to find/unpack), the kids rooms are functional, as is our room, though not fully unpacked. Of course, part of the reason for that is that we're still figuring out where things are going!
I'm loving being a stay at home mom, too. This is the first time I've been a SAHM with both kids in school. Before Hans was laid off, I was a SAHM, but Heather was home, and I spent my weeks running her to therapy appointments and myself to doctor's appointments. This time around I'm making it a point to try to have dinner ready for Hans when he gets home, keeping the laundry up (though I'm failing at that a bit) and ironing and starching Hans' work shirts. I'm finding, too, that I'm really enjoying it, although living among these boxes is still making me anxious. Soon, though, it will all be done!
So that's what's going on through the window. Still integrating, but finding my Southern roots again, while learning that Louisiana is a different animal all together than Georgia!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Get that Packard up and let's move!
Moving - the great game of "hurry up and wait." You sit around, puttering, thinking of all the things that need to be done, but that you really can't do until plans are set in motion. So you do what you think you can, find little odd jobs, do the minor stuff, waiting for the calls. Then, the wheels are put in motion, and suddenly it's all rush, rush, rush! Nothing happening, then everything at once!
Tuesday afternoon, Hans called the relo company to find out what was going on with the movers, since we hadn't heard from them yet. Good thing he did, too - seems a few wires had gotten crossed, and someone said they had spoken with us when they hadn't. So he got that all sorted and was told that someone would be in touch.
Yesterday he got the call from them making "initial contact." Lots of conversation, but no firm dates or times. Finally, after about four calls coordinating this, that and the other (he was sweet enough to tell them to call him, not me, unless absolutely necessary, since I freak out when my phone rings!), we got some dates set....
Someone will be here tomorrow - Friday - to go through the house with us and estimate how big the load is going to be, and how long it will take to pack. Usually, they give you dates then. However, because we're a rush move, they had already given us the packing/loading dates of August first, second and third. Not quite the dates we had hoped for, but it works out well enough. However, we still don't know for sure when they'll be delivering. They could deliver the third/fourth, or it could be some other date.
So now we're running around doing the final things that need to be done before the movers come - we have today and tomorrow, maybe Saturday morning, to do them - and getting it all squared away. That also means setting the dates for utility cut offs, service stops, mail stops, etc, none of which could be done until we knew when we'd be out of the house.
The stinky part of it all is that we get the girls back on the Saturday before the movers come, and I will have to come back here that Sunday to meet the movers, so I'll essentially get a few hours with the girls, then drive from NOLA to Winter Garden for 3-5 days (depending on how long it takes them to pack and load and takes me to clean and drive) after having not seen them for a month. Plus, we've had to ask Hans' mom, who is in the middle of her own move/renovation, to watch the girls that week I'll be gone, because Hans will already be working at that point.
Of course, this is the norm, especially with this type of move - nothing happening, then everything at once, so none of it was surprising. Stressful, yes; surprising, no. Still the wheels are in motion, and we have something to work towards. There's motivation to actually do the things that need to be done because we're no longer holding off, wondering if we're going to be stuck for weeks without belongings or what have you.
Now it's time to head out and give the lawn one last mow, take out the trash, and finish packing the flammables. Today is going to be a full day, tomorrow even moreso. Here's hoping this ol' body holds out as long as I need her to, too!
Yep, time to head out with my tin cup chalice to toast this house goodbye....
Tuesday afternoon, Hans called the relo company to find out what was going on with the movers, since we hadn't heard from them yet. Good thing he did, too - seems a few wires had gotten crossed, and someone said they had spoken with us when they hadn't. So he got that all sorted and was told that someone would be in touch.
Yesterday he got the call from them making "initial contact." Lots of conversation, but no firm dates or times. Finally, after about four calls coordinating this, that and the other (he was sweet enough to tell them to call him, not me, unless absolutely necessary, since I freak out when my phone rings!), we got some dates set....
Someone will be here tomorrow - Friday - to go through the house with us and estimate how big the load is going to be, and how long it will take to pack. Usually, they give you dates then. However, because we're a rush move, they had already given us the packing/loading dates of August first, second and third. Not quite the dates we had hoped for, but it works out well enough. However, we still don't know for sure when they'll be delivering. They could deliver the third/fourth, or it could be some other date.
So now we're running around doing the final things that need to be done before the movers come - we have today and tomorrow, maybe Saturday morning, to do them - and getting it all squared away. That also means setting the dates for utility cut offs, service stops, mail stops, etc, none of which could be done until we knew when we'd be out of the house.
The stinky part of it all is that we get the girls back on the Saturday before the movers come, and I will have to come back here that Sunday to meet the movers, so I'll essentially get a few hours with the girls, then drive from NOLA to Winter Garden for 3-5 days (depending on how long it takes them to pack and load and takes me to clean and drive) after having not seen them for a month. Plus, we've had to ask Hans' mom, who is in the middle of her own move/renovation, to watch the girls that week I'll be gone, because Hans will already be working at that point.
Of course, this is the norm, especially with this type of move - nothing happening, then everything at once, so none of it was surprising. Stressful, yes; surprising, no. Still the wheels are in motion, and we have something to work towards. There's motivation to actually do the things that need to be done because we're no longer holding off, wondering if we're going to be stuck for weeks without belongings or what have you.
Now it's time to head out and give the lawn one last mow, take out the trash, and finish packing the flammables. Today is going to be a full day, tomorrow even moreso. Here's hoping this ol' body holds out as long as I need her to, too!
Yep, time to head out with my tin cup chalice to toast this house goodbye....
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Frankenstein had nothing on this body of mine....
Aren't you in for a treat, gentle reader! A second post in a single day! Of course, if you get through it, you may change your mind!
Today started out normal enough, as you saw earlier. However, as is wont to happen with me, there was a point when it all started spiraling out of control.
You see, I have anxiety issues. For the most part, I have kept them pretty darn well in check since this whole moving business started. It was almost completely limited to middle of the night attacks, which are bad enough, but not nearly as irritating (especially to those around me) as the broad daylight attacks. But brilliant me, I decided that since I was sooo tired today, and I had sooo much to do today, I would drink an "energy drink." Yeah. I know better. Sure, they up my productivity, and if there's nothing major going on, I cope just fine. But, of course, there's all sorts of other things going on right now, 90% of which is completely out of my control (which, I should point out, is another trigger for my anxiety...). And then, more things occurred, also outside of my control. And so I freaked.
Seriously. I spazzed. As in, "don't touch me, my skin is crawling, I feel like I'm flying apart, get away because I might blow," spazzed. Fortunately, Hans and I both recognized what was happening, and I was able to tell him, "Look, freaking out," and he had the forethought to figure out things to head off a complete melt down. So now, here I sit, feeling a bit calmer after some food and relaxation, thinking that it's all going to be okay. Everything's going to work out. The movers will come. Eventually. The house will be packed. Eventually. We will be moved in to the new house. Eventually. And nothing is going to explode, implode or fall apart, myself included.
At least, not tonight.... Tomorrow, well, that's tomorrow. Only time will tell.
Today started out normal enough, as you saw earlier. However, as is wont to happen with me, there was a point when it all started spiraling out of control.
You see, I have anxiety issues. For the most part, I have kept them pretty darn well in check since this whole moving business started. It was almost completely limited to middle of the night attacks, which are bad enough, but not nearly as irritating (especially to those around me) as the broad daylight attacks. But brilliant me, I decided that since I was sooo tired today, and I had sooo much to do today, I would drink an "energy drink." Yeah. I know better. Sure, they up my productivity, and if there's nothing major going on, I cope just fine. But, of course, there's all sorts of other things going on right now, 90% of which is completely out of my control (which, I should point out, is another trigger for my anxiety...). And then, more things occurred, also outside of my control. And so I freaked.
Seriously. I spazzed. As in, "don't touch me, my skin is crawling, I feel like I'm flying apart, get away because I might blow," spazzed. Fortunately, Hans and I both recognized what was happening, and I was able to tell him, "Look, freaking out," and he had the forethought to figure out things to head off a complete melt down. So now, here I sit, feeling a bit calmer after some food and relaxation, thinking that it's all going to be okay. Everything's going to work out. The movers will come. Eventually. The house will be packed. Eventually. We will be moved in to the new house. Eventually. And nothing is going to explode, implode or fall apart, myself included.
At least, not tonight.... Tomorrow, well, that's tomorrow. Only time will tell.
Another page in history, a stepping stone to me and you....
Last night, Hans and I were going through some stuff in his office, looking for this, that and the other, and I came across a file of things to be saved. In the file were some things that just made my little heart smile so big - a card a slipped into his suitcase while he was travelling out of town so often, a ticket stub from when we went to the Butchart Gardens in British Columbia on our last vacation, pictures my cousin Craig sent us from his tour in Bosnia years ago, a negative of a picture of me from college. Tucked in together was a letter from me, and a letter from an old girlfriend of his. I made a passing comment - something to the effect of, "Oh look, a letter from So & So and a letter from me together..." - nothing derogatory or negative, and he started to explain. I stopped him - no reason to explain. She's part of the past, I'm past and future, and it doesn't bother me at all. Heck, I have letters like that myself - not many, but a couple to remind me of long ago.
It's funny, though. Before the last three years, I probably would have been upset. With this move, and what has lead to it, I have found a new me. I don't know if it's because the last five years have been filled with so many difficult things for us to face as a couple, or just a sign of me growing more secure in my own skin, but it truly did not bother me at all to see that lone letter semi stuck to one from me. I actually found it kind of sweet to see a little sentimentality from a man who is not known for such - a side of him that others almost never see, and that even I rarely see.
It's interesting how moving can show you these things. When you move, you go through your belongings, sifting through what's important and what isn't, what you must keep and what's tossable. While we're probably more pack-rat-like than many, the number of moves we've made over the years has also urged us to purge more than some people - even when someone else comes to pack your belongings for you, you still have to unpack them at the other end, so you clean out the flotsam and jetsam of day to day life that holds little meaning, and keep what has more.
There are some things that you just can't let go of, for whatever reason, and then there are some things that you look at, you remember why you were keeping it, and decide that the reasoning isn't strong enough to continue holding on. I think that relationships are a lot like that, too. Moving as much as we have, we've learned to sift through the friends, family and acquaintances in our lives, keeping those that matter most and often, for whatever reason, losing touch with ones that were never meant to be forever. As we're leaving here, there's a part of me that is sad to be leaving some of these people, because I know the relationships won't last beyond the first few months of separation. It's just the way it is. But there's another part of me that isn't worried, because the ones that truly matter, the friends that are more family than acquaintance, will always be a part of us, and we'll never lose them. We'll miss them, but we will see them again.
I love that Hans saved those letters, both of them. And I love that he's part of my life that will always be there.
It's funny, though. Before the last three years, I probably would have been upset. With this move, and what has lead to it, I have found a new me. I don't know if it's because the last five years have been filled with so many difficult things for us to face as a couple, or just a sign of me growing more secure in my own skin, but it truly did not bother me at all to see that lone letter semi stuck to one from me. I actually found it kind of sweet to see a little sentimentality from a man who is not known for such - a side of him that others almost never see, and that even I rarely see.
It's interesting how moving can show you these things. When you move, you go through your belongings, sifting through what's important and what isn't, what you must keep and what's tossable. While we're probably more pack-rat-like than many, the number of moves we've made over the years has also urged us to purge more than some people - even when someone else comes to pack your belongings for you, you still have to unpack them at the other end, so you clean out the flotsam and jetsam of day to day life that holds little meaning, and keep what has more.
There are some things that you just can't let go of, for whatever reason, and then there are some things that you look at, you remember why you were keeping it, and decide that the reasoning isn't strong enough to continue holding on. I think that relationships are a lot like that, too. Moving as much as we have, we've learned to sift through the friends, family and acquaintances in our lives, keeping those that matter most and often, for whatever reason, losing touch with ones that were never meant to be forever. As we're leaving here, there's a part of me that is sad to be leaving some of these people, because I know the relationships won't last beyond the first few months of separation. It's just the way it is. But there's another part of me that isn't worried, because the ones that truly matter, the friends that are more family than acquaintance, will always be a part of us, and we'll never lose them. We'll miss them, but we will see them again.
I love that Hans saved those letters, both of them. And I love that he's part of my life that will always be there.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Today I don't feel like doing anything....
So today was supposed to be a super active day. However, neither of us slept worth a flip last night, so this morning we slept a little later than we meant to. Then, when we did get up, Hans was doing more administrative type stuff (banking changes, address changes, etc.), which took longer than anticipated. The active stuff we were planning to do today was full day stuff, and at the point we were ready to start, the day was over half spent, so we decided to flip flop things a bit - run about half our errands, then start fresh tomorrow!
So off we toddled to Ikea. Yeah, I know that doesn't sound necessary, but it was. The nearest Ikea to Kenner, LA is Houston, TX! That's more than five hours away! And there are things we needed that are a quarter of the price if we get them at Ikea instead of going to Wal-Mart or Target, plus some things that just can't be found elsewhere that we have grown to love. So we pulled out the Ikea gift cards we had stashed and filled the cart. (Plus, we love walking through the showrooms and getting ideas, I admit it!)
After Ikea, we hit the Dollar tree for a couple more necessities (I'm addicted to this one brand of men's razors that I have only found there - 6 razors for a buck, and they work a treat! You can't beat that with a stick!). After Dollar Tree, it was off to Home Depot to do some pricing for a couple of other things that we'll pick up when we get to NOLA, but wanted to budget for beforehand (like a step stool thingy for Shorty McShorterson here to reach the upper cabinets!). Quickie shared dinner at Zaxby's, where the assistant manager was eager to hear about when I worked at the original Zaxby's in Statesboro, then to our final stop - Harbor Freight - where we loaded up on some freebies and super cheapies that we also needed ($2 for a tarp! Seriously! Necessity to cover the stuff in the back of the truck with the summer rains!).
Now it's home to relax a smidge, accomplish a few things, then crawl into bed and try to get some sleep. Hopefully we'll hear from the movers tomorrow. Hans will be spending the day sorting and organizing his office, while I will be out doing more running to the schools and doctors and such, then meeting up with a friend from work for lunch. Then, back home to clean out all my outdated cosmetics and do the little bit of housework I need/can do. Hopefully tomorrow evening can be relaxing, too....
If only we knew when the movers will be here....
So off we toddled to Ikea. Yeah, I know that doesn't sound necessary, but it was. The nearest Ikea to Kenner, LA is Houston, TX! That's more than five hours away! And there are things we needed that are a quarter of the price if we get them at Ikea instead of going to Wal-Mart or Target, plus some things that just can't be found elsewhere that we have grown to love. So we pulled out the Ikea gift cards we had stashed and filled the cart. (Plus, we love walking through the showrooms and getting ideas, I admit it!)
After Ikea, we hit the Dollar tree for a couple more necessities (I'm addicted to this one brand of men's razors that I have only found there - 6 razors for a buck, and they work a treat! You can't beat that with a stick!). After Dollar Tree, it was off to Home Depot to do some pricing for a couple of other things that we'll pick up when we get to NOLA, but wanted to budget for beforehand (like a step stool thingy for Shorty McShorterson here to reach the upper cabinets!). Quickie shared dinner at Zaxby's, where the assistant manager was eager to hear about when I worked at the original Zaxby's in Statesboro, then to our final stop - Harbor Freight - where we loaded up on some freebies and super cheapies that we also needed ($2 for a tarp! Seriously! Necessity to cover the stuff in the back of the truck with the summer rains!).
Now it's home to relax a smidge, accomplish a few things, then crawl into bed and try to get some sleep. Hopefully we'll hear from the movers tomorrow. Hans will be spending the day sorting and organizing his office, while I will be out doing more running to the schools and doctors and such, then meeting up with a friend from work for lunch. Then, back home to clean out all my outdated cosmetics and do the little bit of housework I need/can do. Hopefully tomorrow evening can be relaxing, too....
If only we knew when the movers will be here....
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Don't let the sound of your own wheels make you crazy....
Ah, back to Winter Garden for one of the last times as a resident. Made it in last night, after driving through torrential downpours for about 40% of the drive and normal rain for another 50% of the drive. Slowed things down a bit, and we were exhausted, but we made it, and had some good conversations along the way.
Speaking of conversations, while driving yesterday, we passed what was obviously a college-aged couple on a road trip. I looked over at them, and remembered what that was like - we thought we were so grown up! We thought we were having such mature, responsible conversations! And, for us, at that time, we were! Talking about the possible future and what it may hold; getting to know one another. Road trips are fantastic for couples, I think. Even still, I love road trips with Hans because they inspire so much more conversation than sitting at home usually does. You're captive, and entertainment is either talking or listening to the radio.
As a relationship evolves, though, so does the content of those conversations. Sure, they're still lots of light chatter - this movie or that one, who is or isn't a favorite musician, etc, but there's also a deeper vein to our conversations at this point in life. We have kids, and we have concerns about them, or our remaining Grandmothers. We worry about our parents. Our sisters. Our cousins. We talk about the future, but with a different timbre. There's slightly more certainty to the future, but, in some ways, there's less. Then there's the boring stuff that makes its way into the conversations - bills, money, health, aging - and reminds us that we're adults. It's nice, though, and I'm so fortunate to have found that one person to have these road trip conversations with.
When we got into the truck yesterday morning, we were both stressed, and more than a little snippy. Sure, we have the new house all lined up, but that was only one small part of the puzzle of moving. There is so much more that needs to be done, that has to be done before we actually move in. We have to tie up all the loose ends here in the Orlando area - school withdrawals, medical records (nothing like part of your road trip conversation being, "Honey, we need to make sure that my films from my scans are somewhere safe so they won't be damaged."), school records, work records, change of address, forwarding address, and the list goes on. Plus, we have to wait to hear from the moving company. Once we hear from them, it's more hurry up and wait for them to come out, assess what we have, schedule, pack, load and drive, all while making it fit in between Hans starting work (on July 25th) and when we can take possession of the house and start moving in (on August 1st).
Then there's the settling, unpacking, registering at the new school, etc. etc. However, that bit is the easier bit, honestly. That's the active bit. Right now is the semi-passive bit, which is hard for me. I'm a doer. I'm a list maker. I'm that person whose brain is going a million miles a second and starts going insane when I can't get started on things. There are a few things here at the house for us to do over the next couple of days, but honestly, not that much. I can clean, but I have to clean around the boxes that are packed. Almost everything has been sorted ad nauseum, so there's none of that.
So here I sit, at almost 9AM (or almost 8AM, depending on which time zone I'm paying attention to), with my brain spinning. The hamsters in my head are running double-time, those little wheels going so fast they're on fire. You can probably smell the burning hair for miles around! Hans is up now, too, so we'll plan out what we're going to accomplish today, and get a move on. I'll try not to go slowly insane....
Speaking of conversations, while driving yesterday, we passed what was obviously a college-aged couple on a road trip. I looked over at them, and remembered what that was like - we thought we were so grown up! We thought we were having such mature, responsible conversations! And, for us, at that time, we were! Talking about the possible future and what it may hold; getting to know one another. Road trips are fantastic for couples, I think. Even still, I love road trips with Hans because they inspire so much more conversation than sitting at home usually does. You're captive, and entertainment is either talking or listening to the radio.
As a relationship evolves, though, so does the content of those conversations. Sure, they're still lots of light chatter - this movie or that one, who is or isn't a favorite musician, etc, but there's also a deeper vein to our conversations at this point in life. We have kids, and we have concerns about them, or our remaining Grandmothers. We worry about our parents. Our sisters. Our cousins. We talk about the future, but with a different timbre. There's slightly more certainty to the future, but, in some ways, there's less. Then there's the boring stuff that makes its way into the conversations - bills, money, health, aging - and reminds us that we're adults. It's nice, though, and I'm so fortunate to have found that one person to have these road trip conversations with.
When we got into the truck yesterday morning, we were both stressed, and more than a little snippy. Sure, we have the new house all lined up, but that was only one small part of the puzzle of moving. There is so much more that needs to be done, that has to be done before we actually move in. We have to tie up all the loose ends here in the Orlando area - school withdrawals, medical records (nothing like part of your road trip conversation being, "Honey, we need to make sure that my films from my scans are somewhere safe so they won't be damaged."), school records, work records, change of address, forwarding address, and the list goes on. Plus, we have to wait to hear from the moving company. Once we hear from them, it's more hurry up and wait for them to come out, assess what we have, schedule, pack, load and drive, all while making it fit in between Hans starting work (on July 25th) and when we can take possession of the house and start moving in (on August 1st).
Then there's the settling, unpacking, registering at the new school, etc. etc. However, that bit is the easier bit, honestly. That's the active bit. Right now is the semi-passive bit, which is hard for me. I'm a doer. I'm a list maker. I'm that person whose brain is going a million miles a second and starts going insane when I can't get started on things. There are a few things here at the house for us to do over the next couple of days, but honestly, not that much. I can clean, but I have to clean around the boxes that are packed. Almost everything has been sorted ad nauseum, so there's none of that.
So here I sit, at almost 9AM (or almost 8AM, depending on which time zone I'm paying attention to), with my brain spinning. The hamsters in my head are running double-time, those little wheels going so fast they're on fire. You can probably smell the burning hair for miles around! Hans is up now, too, so we'll plan out what we're going to accomplish today, and get a move on. I'll try not to go slowly insane....
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Sweet Home... Louisiana!
It's Thursday. We've been searching for somewhere to live since Sunday. I know, that doesn't sound like such a long time to most people, and I guess it really isn't, but we've been on a tight schedule - Hans starts work on July 25, and the kids will be starting school on August 15 - so time was of the essence!
There was a small bit of compromise in the price factor - it's a little more than we were hoping to pay, but still comfortably within our budget. It's also big enough to hold all of our "must have" belongings, and give the girls each their own rooms. Top it all off with a "sitting porch" in front, and another in back, a decent sized fenced back yard with awesome grass, and I think we'll be happy as clams. Oh yeah - and all new stainless steel appliances! How silly that that is exciting to me? I get to have a Fisher & Paykel double drawer dishwasher!
I called to let the kids know this afternoon, because I promised Heather I would - she was calling every day, even before Hans and I got to New Orleans, asking if we had a new house yet, and I had to tell her I would call her immediately to get her to relax! Of course, when I did call her, her first question was, "Does it have a pool?" to which the answer was "No. But there's a big back yard and we an set up your pool." Next came, "Can we get a baby kitty now? Nana and Papa have one I can have! It would be for all of us!" to which I responded, "We're not going to talk about baby kitties right now because we have to get everyone all settled before that can even be a thought.... Needless to say, though, I think Heather is getting excited! She loved the fact that we will be so close to GG (Hans' Grandmommy)! And a yard that they can just play in any time!
I, however, am excited about the fact that this Georgia Girl, transplanted to Louisiana by way of North Carolina & Florida, is finally getting her "sitting porches!" One in front, one in back! I'm already scheming how to finagle a rocker or two for the front so I an sit out there with my book and read!
I'm sure there's more to say, but goodness, ya'll, I just can't think straight! Now that we have a place, there's so much to do, so many lists to make. So instead, I'll show you a few pictures we took of the house today. Keep in mind, the place needs a good scrubbing, but that's happening as we speak! (Ignore the dates - I was borrowing Al's camera!)
There was a small bit of compromise in the price factor - it's a little more than we were hoping to pay, but still comfortably within our budget. It's also big enough to hold all of our "must have" belongings, and give the girls each their own rooms. Top it all off with a "sitting porch" in front, and another in back, a decent sized fenced back yard with awesome grass, and I think we'll be happy as clams. Oh yeah - and all new stainless steel appliances! How silly that that is exciting to me? I get to have a Fisher & Paykel double drawer dishwasher!
I called to let the kids know this afternoon, because I promised Heather I would - she was calling every day, even before Hans and I got to New Orleans, asking if we had a new house yet, and I had to tell her I would call her immediately to get her to relax! Of course, when I did call her, her first question was, "Does it have a pool?" to which the answer was "No. But there's a big back yard and we an set up your pool." Next came, "Can we get a baby kitty now? Nana and Papa have one I can have! It would be for all of us!" to which I responded, "We're not going to talk about baby kitties right now because we have to get everyone all settled before that can even be a thought.... Needless to say, though, I think Heather is getting excited! She loved the fact that we will be so close to GG (Hans' Grandmommy)! And a yard that they can just play in any time!
I, however, am excited about the fact that this Georgia Girl, transplanted to Louisiana by way of North Carolina & Florida, is finally getting her "sitting porches!" One in front, one in back! I'm already scheming how to finagle a rocker or two for the front so I an sit out there with my book and read!
I'm sure there's more to say, but goodness, ya'll, I just can't think straight! Now that we have a place, there's so much to do, so many lists to make. So instead, I'll show you a few pictures we took of the house today. Keep in mind, the place needs a good scrubbing, but that's happening as we speak! (Ignore the dates - I was borrowing Al's camera!)
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Oh, The Places You'll Go!
Today was another long day of house hunting. Didn't see quite as much as the last two days, partly because we got a late start, and partly because there just isn't much more out there - we saw most of it the first two days. So, we're down to actually viewing houses, talking with realtors, and trying to make decisions.
It's tough. Tempers are starting to flare a bit, and there are so many little things playing in on everyone. While moving nearer to family is a good thing, getting used to togetherness and finding how we're all going to make it work without driving each other insane is going to take a bit of getting used to. We'll get there, though, and it will work out so well in the long run, I know. I'm actually looking forward to the togetherness, and the ability to help each other out when need be. I've always been very family-oriented, especially after my upbringing.
I was raised within miles of all my Daddy's family. It was nothing for everyone to be at Granny & Papa's on Saturday or Sunday, just because. People showing up just to visit was normal, too. Sure, most days I say how I don't want that, and how much I value my privacy, but at the same time, I miss it a bit too. It was so awesome as a kid, having that ability to be so close to cousins that they were more like siblings. I wish that for my kids (though there are currently no cousins for them to have that with...). I was raised in a family where, if someone was sick or hurt, there was always someone else there to help out when and where it was needed. To be able to be a part of that again is something I'm longing for.
Then there's being back in The South. Yeah, yeah, some of you are going to claim that I've been living in the south for the past ten years. And, geographically speaking, I have been. Culturally, though, Florida is not, for the most part, The South. Believe me. Yes, there are pockets of Southerners in Florida (Hi, Polk County!), but as a whole, Florida is not Southern. Louisiana, however, most assuredly is. If I had any doubts, talking with Blanche, one of the Realtors we met with today, laid them to rest. I found my accent returning, my gentility itching to come out. I heard myself utter, "Oh, my!" and "Sake's alive!" more than once today. I could feel my Granny speaking through me, and at one point I even trotted out her old zinger of, "Well shitfire and damnation!" (that was reserved for only the most dire of situations, as that is the most I ever heard her curse, rest her soul!).
Yes, this Southern Girl is back in her element of soil and sweat and summer porches, and my, is it ever a fine place to be! I've felt out of sorts with myself for a few months now, and told Hans that I thought I needed to be back in The South, and it looks like The Universe heard me. I never thought I would be so happy to be surrounded by accents in my life.
Now to just find a damned house to live in!
It's tough. Tempers are starting to flare a bit, and there are so many little things playing in on everyone. While moving nearer to family is a good thing, getting used to togetherness and finding how we're all going to make it work without driving each other insane is going to take a bit of getting used to. We'll get there, though, and it will work out so well in the long run, I know. I'm actually looking forward to the togetherness, and the ability to help each other out when need be. I've always been very family-oriented, especially after my upbringing.
I was raised within miles of all my Daddy's family. It was nothing for everyone to be at Granny & Papa's on Saturday or Sunday, just because. People showing up just to visit was normal, too. Sure, most days I say how I don't want that, and how much I value my privacy, but at the same time, I miss it a bit too. It was so awesome as a kid, having that ability to be so close to cousins that they were more like siblings. I wish that for my kids (though there are currently no cousins for them to have that with...). I was raised in a family where, if someone was sick or hurt, there was always someone else there to help out when and where it was needed. To be able to be a part of that again is something I'm longing for.
Then there's being back in The South. Yeah, yeah, some of you are going to claim that I've been living in the south for the past ten years. And, geographically speaking, I have been. Culturally, though, Florida is not, for the most part, The South. Believe me. Yes, there are pockets of Southerners in Florida (Hi, Polk County!), but as a whole, Florida is not Southern. Louisiana, however, most assuredly is. If I had any doubts, talking with Blanche, one of the Realtors we met with today, laid them to rest. I found my accent returning, my gentility itching to come out. I heard myself utter, "Oh, my!" and "Sake's alive!" more than once today. I could feel my Granny speaking through me, and at one point I even trotted out her old zinger of, "Well shitfire and damnation!" (that was reserved for only the most dire of situations, as that is the most I ever heard her curse, rest her soul!).
Yes, this Southern Girl is back in her element of soil and sweat and summer porches, and my, is it ever a fine place to be! I've felt out of sorts with myself for a few months now, and told Hans that I thought I needed to be back in The South, and it looks like The Universe heard me. I never thought I would be so happy to be surrounded by accents in my life.
Now to just find a damned house to live in!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Big Wheel Keep On Turnin'
As you probably already figured out, we're moving. After three years of being a stay-at-home-daddy, Hans is rejoining the workforce, and, at least until the kids are in school and housing is settled, I am back to my favorite job of being Mommy. Before all of that becomes reality, though, we have to get ourselves relocated. From Orlando, FL to New Orleans, LA.
Moving's not such a big deal for me anymore. Since Hans and I met, we have moved: from Statesboro, GA to Raleigh, NC; from Raleigh, NC to Tampa, FL; from Tampa, FL to Boca Raton, FL; from Boca Raton, FL to Orlando (Winter Garden), FL. For those of you keeping score at home, that's 4 moves in 13 years, the last of which was five and a half years ago, so 4 moves in 7 years, three of which were with kids. The kids, however, were much younger for the last move. This is the first move since they have had established groups of friends that they have known for a long period. This is the first time Aliceon has had to change schools, and Heather has even been aware of the process. So for the girls, this is a pretty big deal.
Fortunately, the girls spend a large chunk of the summer in Georgia with my parents every year, and as luck would have it, the brunt of this move is happening while they're out of town. So they were home for the goodbyes, and for the packing of their rooms, but all the tedious and mundane tasks are taking place safely behind the scenes while the pan for gold and ride the zipline with their maternal grandparents. Still, we're seeing the little signs of stress - Heather asks every time I talk to her whether we've found a house yet, and when she's going to get to see us. Aliceon, on the other hand, is dealing with things in true Aliceon fashion - ignoring the issue! I'm not sure how that's going to work out in the long run, but she is her father's daughter, so she'll likely be just fine.
So, with the littles safely ensconced in their North Georgia enclave, Hans and I trudge through the thick mire of sorting through neighborhoods, houses and paperwork. The first day was exciting - "Oooh! New adventure! Let's see if we can find an awesome house for super cheap!" The second day, reality started to sink in a bit - "Hmm... Okay, let's see if we can either lower our standards or increase our budget just a bit...." Today, the third day, was more of a, "Let's get through a few houses, try not to bite each other's heads off in the process, and find somewhere inhabitable that isn't a week's drive away from work for Hans." At least, that's how the day started out. It did get better, though, and while no decisions were made on a specific house, things were certainly narrowed down, and we have a much firmer idea of our priorities and where we're willing to compromise.
Once that was established, and after looking at our last house of the day, we hit the road to cross the Mighty Mississippi River for about the 14th time in three days. No, seriously. I have seen, and crossed, that great, rushing, muddy river more in the past three days than I had in the previous 13 years I have been coming to the area. Each time, though, as we crested the bridge (the Mississippi River Bridge, not the Huey P. Long - you can't see much crossing the HPL right now, especially with your eyes shut tight in terror!), I looked out over the city and took it all in.
I know there are many out there that think New Orleans is a dirty city, an ugly city, and sure, she may have her moments, but looking from the top of the bridge, across to the north and south, I have to compare her to an aging supermodel - from a distance, she's still supremely beautiful and striking. When you get a little closer, you start to see some of the wrinkles, the imperfections and fine lines, but they're not ugly - they're character. They tell the stories of thousands of people, thousands of lives. There's a will and determination you see as you drive around. Yeah, there's the seedy bits, as you find with any metropolitan area, but there's just something else - a welcoming feeling. Driving around, even in the worst parts of town, no matter how much we joked, we actually felt safe. People smile. People wave.
Does New Orleans have her problems? Of course! She's a great, bustling city filled with people from all walks of life. But like an old Victorian home, she's got great bones, and the potential for great revitalization! All she needs is some elbow grease and some loving care, and she's starting to get it - we saw that first hand today.
I think I'm going to like it here.
Moving's not such a big deal for me anymore. Since Hans and I met, we have moved: from Statesboro, GA to Raleigh, NC; from Raleigh, NC to Tampa, FL; from Tampa, FL to Boca Raton, FL; from Boca Raton, FL to Orlando (Winter Garden), FL. For those of you keeping score at home, that's 4 moves in 13 years, the last of which was five and a half years ago, so 4 moves in 7 years, three of which were with kids. The kids, however, were much younger for the last move. This is the first move since they have had established groups of friends that they have known for a long period. This is the first time Aliceon has had to change schools, and Heather has even been aware of the process. So for the girls, this is a pretty big deal.
Fortunately, the girls spend a large chunk of the summer in Georgia with my parents every year, and as luck would have it, the brunt of this move is happening while they're out of town. So they were home for the goodbyes, and for the packing of their rooms, but all the tedious and mundane tasks are taking place safely behind the scenes while the pan for gold and ride the zipline with their maternal grandparents. Still, we're seeing the little signs of stress - Heather asks every time I talk to her whether we've found a house yet, and when she's going to get to see us. Aliceon, on the other hand, is dealing with things in true Aliceon fashion - ignoring the issue! I'm not sure how that's going to work out in the long run, but she is her father's daughter, so she'll likely be just fine.
So, with the littles safely ensconced in their North Georgia enclave, Hans and I trudge through the thick mire of sorting through neighborhoods, houses and paperwork. The first day was exciting - "Oooh! New adventure! Let's see if we can find an awesome house for super cheap!" The second day, reality started to sink in a bit - "Hmm... Okay, let's see if we can either lower our standards or increase our budget just a bit...." Today, the third day, was more of a, "Let's get through a few houses, try not to bite each other's heads off in the process, and find somewhere inhabitable that isn't a week's drive away from work for Hans." At least, that's how the day started out. It did get better, though, and while no decisions were made on a specific house, things were certainly narrowed down, and we have a much firmer idea of our priorities and where we're willing to compromise.
Once that was established, and after looking at our last house of the day, we hit the road to cross the Mighty Mississippi River for about the 14th time in three days. No, seriously. I have seen, and crossed, that great, rushing, muddy river more in the past three days than I had in the previous 13 years I have been coming to the area. Each time, though, as we crested the bridge (the Mississippi River Bridge, not the Huey P. Long - you can't see much crossing the HPL right now, especially with your eyes shut tight in terror!), I looked out over the city and took it all in.
I know there are many out there that think New Orleans is a dirty city, an ugly city, and sure, she may have her moments, but looking from the top of the bridge, across to the north and south, I have to compare her to an aging supermodel - from a distance, she's still supremely beautiful and striking. When you get a little closer, you start to see some of the wrinkles, the imperfections and fine lines, but they're not ugly - they're character. They tell the stories of thousands of people, thousands of lives. There's a will and determination you see as you drive around. Yeah, there's the seedy bits, as you find with any metropolitan area, but there's just something else - a welcoming feeling. Driving around, even in the worst parts of town, no matter how much we joked, we actually felt safe. People smile. People wave.
Does New Orleans have her problems? Of course! She's a great, bustling city filled with people from all walks of life. But like an old Victorian home, she's got great bones, and the potential for great revitalization! All she needs is some elbow grease and some loving care, and she's starting to get it - we saw that first hand today.
I think I'm going to like it here.
Innaugural Post
I was asked by a friend to blog our move from Orlando to New Orleans. At first I thought, "Eh, I don't have time. I'm so busy. It's not that interesting...." But today, as we were ending our third day driving around the area, trying to find suitable housing for our little family, I decided maybe I should. There is a lot to be said, and a lot that could (though probably won't) help, or at least amuse, others. So here you go. Here's a little blog about a little family making a not-so-little move to an even less little city.
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