Wednesday, January 12, 2011

In Brief

1. We have arrived and are slowly getting settled in our new home.

2. This was, perhaps, our worst move yet as far as the professional movers were concerned. It took the  three guys we hired only 3 hours to load 10,500 pounds of our stuff into our truck, yet two packers and two movers needed nine hours to finish the remaining 5500 pounds. By the grace of God, it all seems to have made it and only a few small items were broken. As a sidenote, I might start packing for pay - everything I packed arrived safe and sound without one thing broken. Good to know I have something to fall back on.

3. The cross-country caravan was fairly entertaining, to phrase it positively. Despite our plans to the contrary, we didn't leave Virginia until 3:00 in the afternoon and had made reservations in Charleston, WV for the night. That was one long, dark drive. Sadly, it was even longer for Jeff who had (in his words) a really steep learning curve with the 26-foot truck plus tow dolly and the ways of truck stop diesel pumps. After enduring a nearly 30 minute screamfest in the car, the kids, my mom and I arrived around 10:30. My sweet husband and dog arrived about three hours later. Luckily the next couple of days were better and Jeff was so excited to be back in Kansas that he even wielded that truck through southern Johnson County for a quick lunch with one of his best friends.

4. Despite having moved two-thirds of our household goods, we had no mattresses in our truck. That, my friends, is a critical error. We reasoned that we wanted them in new mattress boxes and that our shipment would have a head-start to Kansas, but in the end we stayed in Lawrence for almost a week. That was a week of 45-minute drives (each way) to get our truck unloaded, clean the new house, two really early mornings to get Wyatt to his new school and - bless my parents - a week of us exploding into their house. We finally stayed here (in our house) last Friday night with Natalie in her bed (we'd been smart enough to bring that ourselves), Wyatt in a sleeping bag and me and Jeff on an airmattress….that deflated during the night. I don't know when you last slept on the floor, but I really don't recommend it.

5. We are now almost finished unpacking and are enjoying the new layout. We have an unfinished basement (holla for a basement - it's so amazingly awesome) that we've ghetto-finished with a large piece of carpet and some nice 8 lb. carpet pad. It's now known as the playroom. Oh, and since Jeff's studying this year, we stuck his office down there, too. There's talk of creating a little home gym, but the space we had carved out for that is slowly being encroached upon by small trampolines and indoor basketball hoops, so we'll just see how that goes.

6. We've arrived here just in time for a seriously arctic blast; I'm really okay with the cold, but the wind takes my breath away. I think my nerve endings have lost their tolerance for so much wind, though I'm sure they'll get it back in short order. Thankfully our landlord left a snow shovel in the garage with which I'm becoming fondly acquainted. On the flip side, we were so warmly welcomed by family and friends alike that we can't help but feel warm on the inside.

7. Jeff's schedule is predictable and normal. Let me repeat that: Jeff's schedule is predictable and normal. It makes it hard to remember all the years when it was neither of those things. And get this - we already know when his vacation is for the entire year. Fascinating.

5 comments:

Susan said...

Sorry the air mattress deflated on you! It's not pulled that stunt on anyone to date, so I guess you're the chosen ones? (Also, since you asked, I slept on Andrew's bedroom floor last Friday night as well because we were concerned the allergic hives all over his body might be, well, serious. I'm definitely too old for that.) We're glad you're here for whatever that's worth!

Leslie said...

Moving is always an adventure! Glad to know you survived another one. And I'm majorly jealous of the basement. If only Michael could start off every day with 5 minutes on a mini trampoline...maybe I could keep up...maybe.

Laurie R. said...

Glad y'all are getting all settled in. It was so great to talk to you on the phone today! I miss you so much, friend!
xoxo

Mike and Jamie said...

I would give my left lug nut for a predictable and normal schedule!! Glad you guys are enjoying that. I can't imagine how nice it must be. Glad the PCS has gone smoothly for you guys! God Bless,

Cue

The Thomas Crew said...

Yes! Predictable and normal was SO nice there for a year and you will love it. The only thing you'll be unsure of is if Jeff will be coming home before lunch or after on many days. :)

ENJOY IT!!