Moving Magic-Now You See It, Now It's Gone!

We had four days scheduled for the move, and these guys did it in two. A miracle? magic? Who's to say. They did it. This part is always very exciting, and a little nerve racking. Every time we move, I look around and think "Holy cow! Who's crap is filling up my house! We definitely need to get rid of some of this!" But then I decide that I can't live without any of it and into boxes it goes. I'm sure this thrills the movers almost as much as it does the hubby. This time, though, I noticed that a LOT of stuff going into the boxes wasn't mine. The hubby has accumulated a lot of crap on his own. Sorry, I meant... "valuable cold weather gear and accessories. I can't get rid of this stuff. I'll definitely need it again later!" Someone else is singing my tune, it would seem.

The hubby also can't sit around while someone else is working. Apparently this is part of the tough guy code. I'm afraid that I didn't read this manual. I, for one, was happy that we weren't moving ourselves this time.

Now our lives are packed into MANY wooden crates, loaded into a trailer, and heading out to the docks. There they will be put on a slow moving boat that is heading "over the pond" to our new home. Hopefully they will avoid the pirates. Argh, Matey, you touch my furniture and die cuts and walking the plank will look like pre-school! We are camping out on blow up mattresses for the time being. Soon they will be back to pick up our last 500 pound shipment and the rest of the goodies that will be heading into storage. (Note to self: thin out rest of goodies going into storage!) By the way, in case you were wondering, I got into LOTS of trouble for posting that pic of Jess "The Russian" teenager a couple of days ago. Be sure and go back and check it out again. No sense in getting into trouble and not getting my monies worth out of it. :0) Hee hee, Jess. That will teach you.

Moving Monday and Tuesday

The kids are having way too much fun with this move. They left for school yesterday morning with a house full of furniture, and returned home to find their lives packed away in lots of lovely boxes. But, being the Air Force kids that they are, they adjust quickly. Jess hooked up the laptop on the kitchen bar and entertained herself (and us) with an impersonation of a Russian fellow. Not really sure where that came from. She made herself a mustache and goatee and the accent just seemed to follow naturally. Anything you asked her was answered with accent and attitude. You can't see it in this picture, but she also had a home made sticker on her shirt with the words "having too much fun with tape" on it.

Brandon hooked up the HUGE 13" TV to the cable box, and was good to go. When you sit this close, it's wide screen. At one point, he turned to us and said "I kind of like not having any furniture." Kids. They like the idea of camping out in the house as long as we have the basics like Internet and TV. Not much else is required.

The Harley took off today in a small truck all by itself. It will be boxed at the warehouse and added to our shipment. Hopefully. We are keeping our fingers crossed. The movers are finishing up the packing today and will load everything into the big truck. Then it's happy camping until we head off to TLF. I'm sure after a couple of weeks of sleeping on blow up mattresses, it will seem like a high dollar vacation on the Riviera!

Simply Saturday

Days are slipping by quickly, and once again, I have let the blog slide to the side. I will try to be a good little blogger and keep it more up to date once the movers have done their thing. That said, next week is not looking good for blogging. All of our worldly possessions are being boxed up and sent "over the pond" to our new home. I'll be lap topping it until we see them again in a few months.

Update on the kitties: They are doing very well and are enjoying the perks of living with Grandma and Grandpa. I suspect they have each gained a pound or two already with the extra treats that they are getting, but this is not confirmed at this time. Ashley is still her mellow self. Tink is pulling her normal routine of getting into everything and slowly driving the Grandparents insane. You have to love the Tink. When these three years are up, the Grandparents will either meet us at the door with kennels in hand, or yell through the peek hole that we can't have the babies back. I am prepared for battle. Dad gets credit for the latest Tinky pictures. I am still waiting for him to start his own kitty blog. They provide a lot of material.

I am off to prepare for the movers on Monday. Things to sort, things to toss, things to pack into suitcases. Our lives have to be divided into need it now, need it in 3 years, and can live without it for 2 or 3 months. I have found that I am more of a hoarder than I thought. I blame my parents. (I am quite sure that it can't be MY fault!)

Wavering Wednesday

Greetings from the glorious, thawing tundra. I've been slacking a bit in the blogging, but we've been a little consumed by this big move. I am happy to report that Tink and Ashley are settling in nicely at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Ashley is still a little shy but Tink has claimed the entire house as her domain. Not surprising. We are already counting the days until we get them back. I haven't had anyone sleep on my head or drool in my hair for several days. The kids have offered, but it's just not the same. I have taken to carrying a pillow around, petting it and making purring sounds. The neighbors stare a bit, but it seems to help.Only a few more days until the movers come and take our major household goods. Then we will be roughing it with inflatable mattresses, camping chairs, the laptop, and a 13 inch TV from the stone age. This should be very interesting. I suppose it will make us appreciate our belongings even more when we get them back. You will be happy to know that Jessica's passport finally came in. For a while there it was looking like we would have to leave her with the neighbors. She might have ended up on the blog with a sign around her neck saying "Free to good home!" Stranger things have happened. Russ has recovered from the heartache of selling his beloved Tundra and wheeler, and is checking out sports cars online. You can practically see the testosterone. The kids are helping him pick out the color. I am reminded of "Tim The Tool Man" Taylor on that old TV show Home Improvement where he grunts and says things like "more power". Oh, well. He has 3 years to dream and plan. Then he will probably head out and get another Tundra.

One Step Closer To Moving...

The cats are almost ready to be shipped off to Grandma and Grandpa's house. I took them to the vet this morning for their checkup and flying paperwork. I would say it was an easy appointment, except it was quite the workout. Both of these felines are a whole lot of woman. (No one in this house has missed any meals!) The hardest part was getting Ashley out from under the armoire when it was time to leave the house. She does not have fond memories that include the kennel. Tink still considers it a cool play toy, and climbs in and out by herself. Ashley has to be encouraged. I even tried luring Ash out of hiding with kitty treats. Tink jumped in and gobbled them all up. Needless to say, things did not go well after that. Still... I got them in the kennels and off to the vet. They got back in the kennels MUCH quicker when it was time to come back home. Tink is now hanging out on the computer table, taking a power nap. Ash slunk off to hide under the dining table and pout. Tomorrow, I get to start the fun again and try to wedge their stubborn bodies once more into the kennels. Tomorrow is the real deal. The kitties will be heading off on a brand new adventure in one direction, and we will soon head off another way for an adventure of our own. Yet another tough day in the moving process. We just have to keep an eye on the goal. Waffles, chocolate, beer, castles, and endless opportunities. The kitties will take good care of Grandma and Grandpa while we are gone. Ashley will make a lovely reading companion for Grandma. Tink might even teach Grandpa how to play fetch. I can see their new blog now..."Adventures With Ashley & Tink."