A "What Were We Thinking" Kind of Day

Woke up too early today (I could say that every day since we've been in Arizona...my body clock apparently hasn't adjusted to Pacific Daylight Time)...but ready to explore "the new neighborhood". 

First, I had to call our auto insurance to change plans since we have moved.  UGH! Apparently between a new state and a ticket Mark got this summer (shhh, don't tell him I told you), insurance is going up $300/6 months.  Yikes.

Then, just before I was going to leave the house, our realtor called.  Yesterday we gave the seller a list of repairs we would like based on the homeowner's inspection.  Will meet with our realtor tomorrow after Mark gets back in town, but one component was some roof damage, and the seller has said she won't repair, although she will make an allowance of some sort (will find that out tomorrow, too).  Now we need to get a roofer to inspect the damage to see how extensive it really is.  Only, we've had a lot of rain lately, so a lot of homeowners have discovered leaks in their rooves (isn't that the plural of roof...like hoof and hooves?), and it's about to be a holiday weekend, and we are definitely on a deadline.  I think the wind went out of my sails.

Then I drove to our new location.  Only I turned into the subdivision at the wrong street.  After snaking my way through, I found my way towards our home, but had to drive the long way by the elementary school that is a block from our house (and there's no way to get to the house without passing the school).  And I was there at Kindergarten pick up time.  What a traffic jam.  And no, it's not just because it's the first week of school.  Chandler schools started back in July.  I can't yet imagine the traffic jam at the end of the day.

From the neighborhood I decided to find the nearest Jo-Ann's store.  i haven't decided yet if I want to go back to work there, but I thought I'd check it out.  I think the nearest store is about 10 miles away (the same as in Kingwood).  Except it's all city streets.  With stoplights.  Which I hit.  Every one.  By the time I got to the store, I was fairly sure I didn't want to work there, a thought that was confirmed when I went inside.  I didn't get that "lovin' feeling" if you know what I mean.

I also was looking for the nearest grocery store.  Only I don't think there is one.  Seriously.  I drove several different directions from the house, but didn't find anything close.  Or any other stores for that matter.  I'm sure they're out there.  Somewhere.  But I'm feeling like we are going to be living in quite an isolated area.  Did I mention that we will drive by a dairy farm every day from school/church?  Everything in the valley is very built up...except the area where we are going to live.  I'm used to the Kroger a block away. 

I didn't get lost on my drive, but there were several times when I couldn't get where I was going.  Exit ramps from the freeway, but no entrance ramps.  Ugh! More frustration.  I was very happy to get back "home" (to our temporary dwelling), but it was one of those days...

Limbo

Somewhere, in one of the many boxes that contain my photo albums (not the ones that contain my scrapbooks...those are different boxes, and there are many more) is a picture of my friend Janice doing the limbo.  No flames involved.  Single, and much younger, we had gone on a cruise together.  One of the cruise ship activities was a limbo contest.  Janice decided to try it.  No small feat when you are 5 feet 12 inches tall.  But she tried it...which is way more than I did.  I knew I wasn't very flexible and didn't want to make a fool of myself.

I'm still not very flexible.  And this move is making me bend way backwards.  and sometimes it feels like there are flames involved.  Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it's definitely not easy or comfortable, when you're not flexible. 

Right now we are living in limbo...somewhere between the old life and the life that is to come.  Almost everything we own is in boxes, in the garage or in a storage unit a half mile down the street.  Several times in the last couple days someone has asked for something that we own...only it's in a box somewhere, and without opening a bunch of boxes I can't find it.  And I really don't want to open any boxes because there is nowhere to put anything that's in them.

And then there is what to do to fill my day.  I haven't moved in 18 years, so I really don't remember well, but i'm sure my first few weeks in Texas were filled with getting to know the area that we were living, getting to know the grocery store, getting driver's license renewed, etc.  But here, in Limbo, we don't have an address yet, so I don't want to get my license renewed.  We don't know what neighborhood we will be living in, so I can't really get to know the neighborhood, and since I don't know where we will be living, I don't even know which grocery store I will be shopping.  So i'm getting to know Savannah and Matt, Natalie and Al, and Kelly and whoever she is with at the moment, and Ellen.  Haven't met Judge Judy yet, but i'm sure she'll be along soon.

Yesterday we made an offer on a house.  I hope we will get it since it really feels like it would be right for our family.  But our realtor tells us again and again, "Don't fall in love with the house until I put the keys in your hands."  Deals fall through all the time. (and our deal hasn't even been accepted yet, so really don't fall in love with it yet.) 

And so, I continue to do the limbo...



The Starbucks Lady Made Me Cry

She didn't mean to.  All she did was ask me how my day was going so far.  It was only 8:45---so how risky was that question? 

First day of school.  First day of lots of change.  Tears like a river, and as far as I know, they're all mine.  I thought we were doing okay.  Everyone got up when I asked them.  No one complained about breakfast.  Or their uniform.  (Okay, there was a little bit of complaining about the uniform, but much less than I expected).  We weren't having a bad hair day (as far as I know). And we left in time to get to school on time. (Not necessarily a given).

Can I just say that I have never cried on the first day of school.  (Well, except maybe when I was teaching).  The first day of Kindergarten...smiles and dancing a jig.  Second child first day of Kindergarten...happier jig.  First day of Middle school, not a problem. I really didn't think today would be any different.

But when we got to school, the kids got out of the car and began to walk across the parking lot.  Mark met them half way (he was already there for Bible study this morning).  One of my children proceeded with no problems.  The other one lagged behind.  Then when Mark was walking this child, the child said, "I hate this school already."  When the child walked into the building, Mark came back to me and told me.  And the tears began.

This is so hard.  And it's not just because my child is hurting.  It's hard because I can totally relate.  No, I don't hate school (and I know this is going to be a great one), but it's the meeting people thing.  And I know exactly what my child is feeling. I don't want to go in either.After the kids were dropped off there was a meet the parents coffee.  I was going to go.  But I couldn't drag myself in.  I didn't want to meet any new parents. 

So instead, I drove out of the parking lot, tears in my eyes, and drove to Starbucks.  Where I paid $4 for a cup of coffee. Because I wouldn't have to talk to anyone.  Except the barista.  Who made me cry. 

Traction

I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing...in this blog, or in my life.  I can't even get the font to stay with what I chose.  Somehow I'm not thinking this is a great idea, but several friends recently have said they wanted me to blog.  So here goes.

We just moved across country and are in a period of big adjustment.  For all of us.  Including the dog.  In the couple weeks before we left, I know Lyric (the dog) sensed something was amiss.  Or at least up.  I think she got a bit worried, and we had several problems with waste elimination, if you know what I mean.  We worried about how she'd do in the car for 1200 miles, and figured the whole trip would be a massive undertaking.  We removed a seat from the car and set up her kennel, hoping to give her a "safe" place to travel.  Amazingly, it worked, and she pretty much became the best traveller in the bunch. In fact, I'm not sure we ever made a stop specifically for her.  On the other hand, for about three days she did not eat anything.  Unlike this writer, who pretty much ate constantly.  I think my dog and I process change differently.

Now we are in a temporary living arrangement in our new city.  It's a nice 3 bedroom condo, with a yard in the back, and even a doggie door. (Arizonans must love their dogs...most of the homes we've looked at seem to have doggie doors...despite the fact that many of them have no grass in the yard.)  But in what we also are finding to be typical Arizona, most of the floors are not carpeted.  What has been quite amusing to watch is my daughter playing with Lyric.  She likes to get a little wild (the daughter), and get Lyric to chase her around the house.  Only without carpet she (the dog) somewhat resembles Wylie Coyote or some other critter from ToonTown.  You know, how they run but their legs just spin and they get nowhere?  We laugh (somewhat sadistically?) as she struggles to get traction.

And then I realize that Lyric is me, struggling to get traction, but going nowhere.  Ouch! Moving isn't easy.  It's not  the packing that's tough, or even the unpacking (I hope...and I hope to find that out soon)...It's getting traction once you get there.  My daughter and I had a heart to heart last night, after she told me "I want to go home."  I know what she meant.  We're both struggling to get traction...