So … imagine music rising here …
Hello, my friends, hello! (ala Neil Diamond). This has been a long dry spell. I could spin you a dark, boring tale about our horrific move from hell! Some of the things that happened were – landlady who went from professed friend to unreasonable tyrant in a moment, loading the moving van with minimal help (thanks Karl and Carson), unbearable heat in the old area, nervously driving the huge van (a new experience for MSB), four 4-hour one-way round trips, giving up a lot of stuff because we couldn’t find room to pack them in the vehicles, overloaded cars, darkness and storms in the new area, unfamiliar roads, Tropical Storm Omar that only drenched us in the dark, highways under construction, not being able to see the interstate on-ramps for the rain and the darkness (missed at least one and drove through ditches) oh, and it was on a holiday weekend – but what fun would that tale be?!
Nope! Instead, I’m gonna tell you about the great place to which we moved! Talk about a perfect storm – no pun intended! The back story is that we came down to the river house where MSB’s family has lived for years so MSB could go fishing with his brother on a Saturday. The next day, we went to another friend’s house for a fish fry. On the way to the fish fry, we saw a small for sale sign on a piece of river front property … fenced, boat house (or open garage), large older trailer with a great deck overlooking the river, nice patio (I see a hot tub there – soon!) and a dock down to the river.
We fell in heavy-duty “like” asap but couldn’t imagine we’d be able to afford it. While eating, someone else brought up the sign and we decided to call to see what they wanted for the place. When we heard the price, we planned to see it. Totally doable for us!
I was sold as soon as I stepped inside. I felt like I’d come home instead of feeling like I was in a holding pen like I’d felt since I sold my beloved Tunnel Hill house five years earlier. The new-to-us place had obviously been well cared for over the years. The sellers had lived here for 20 years. They were keeping their weekend property next door so, if anything went wrong, we’d be able to find them.
On Monday, we drove home. I was on the phone to my bank as we were driving and, before we even got home, had the money. We called the sellers that afternoon and decided to bring the first couple loads down that week and sign the papers.
Did I tell you the for sale sign had only been up about 3 hours and, by the next morning, they had had a few more calls? Then we moved … see first paragraph. I’m working hard to clear those memories from my psyche! A couple things have gone wrong since we got here – trying to get internet and cable here took more than two weeks and its very unstable still, a/c went down on a very hot day, a toilet needed to be replaced – but the seller was there to help with everything.
Ridding myself of the sense of betrayal, losing all my lunch buddies, realizing I’ll never step inside the school I help open again, trying to find places for everything and make a home here left me pretty depressed. But I’m seeing that the light at the end of the tunnel is not a train. It’s gonna be ok!
As usual, my beloved MSB has been awesome. He did the lion’s share of the work on his own and worked like a Trojan. Once more, I need to thank all the women who passed him up while we were both single and looking for each other. I truly do not know what I did to deserve him but I’m grateful.
All in all, this has been an excellent move for us and, I believe, we’ll be here for the rest of our lives – disregarding the lousy internet, the crappy satellite tv and the 30-mile drive to town. The peace, the calmness, the sense of home here is astounding. I haven’t been much for inviting people to my home because we had no entertainment space nor spare bedroom. Now we do!
My daughter in Montana says she has to be the first guest – that may be a while. Soon as she returns, I’ll let you know!
And our big circular 6-week trip to Dallas, Chandler AZ, Grand Canyon, Portland OR, Snoqualmie WA and Missoula MT has to be put off a couple years. Right now, I don’t want to drive more that the distance we need to go to the store! I know my love for travel will return, but I think I’ll let my roots take their own sweet time!
I have finally begun to shake the sense of isolation and loss thanks to MSB’s brother and wife and some kindred spirits I met this past week. I’m writing again and the writing is going well. Breaking through the wall that was holding me back on the next novel was exhausting. Now, I feel like I will finish it before the month is out. Then I’ll be looking for a beta reader … volunteers?
Remember … Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. This tale is living proof that this quote is true. Thanks for being patient.