We've Arrived!

It was a dark and stormy night when we arrived at our new home. We had been driving for over 10 hours in a falling apart rental moving truck with bad brakes. The truck was loud and difficult to handle. We couldn't drive very fast. Visibility had been close to nothing for the past few hours. There was a cat in my arms who was terrified of the thundering loud noise the rain made on the roof of the truck. She added to the commotion by yowling.

Fortunately, we made it all in one piece.

Moving is a stressful business. It is especially so when you start the move six months before you actually move. Most of you know the anticipatory anxiety I felt during those six months. And the anxiety of buying a house the previous six months.

I've had an exhausting year!

We bought this house, sight unseen but for very shaky video and grainy pictures. We had traveled to Rochester, NY at the end of August to actually see the house and to figure out how much stuff we could bring or not bring.

My first impression of the house was not a good one. I have been blessed, or cursed, depending on how you look at it, with a very sensitive nose. I can smell things most people can't. By the time most people can actually smell an odor, I am usually completely overwhelmed by it. The question I always asked regarding a prospective house was, "Does it have an odor? Does it stink?" The answer was always no.

So, we arrived at our new house which was super cute with green grass and a couple of trees out front. My mom, who had been a tremendous help throughout this entire experience, unlocked the front door. She went in. Keith went in. I entered last.

BAM! I felt like I had been punched in the face. It smelled SO BAD! I could barely breathe. We looked in every room and down in the basement. Then, I had to go outside. I just couldn't stand the smell.

The next day we came back. I pulled up a little corner of the carpet in the living room. OMG!! The flooring under the carpet was gorgeous hardwood. I begged and begged Keith to let me pull up the carpet.

I'm not sure if you all are familiar with carpeted floors. Laying carpet on a floor involves a thousand million trillion tiny nails and staples. Keith was reluctant to pull up the carpet because we would also need to pull out the wood strips to which the carpet was nailed and the gazillion staples holding down the carpet.

I begged. I pleaded. I gave my best-ever puppy dog eyes.

Finally, Keith relented. We pulled up the carpet and the under carpet (I can't remember the actual technical name for that stuff). I got busy pulling up nails and staples. The second we dragged the giant roll of carpet outside, the house smelled SO MUCH better. We could see all the nasty pee stains on the underside of the carpet.

Just that little bit of activity tired us out so we went back to my mom's and from there to my baby brother's house. I would love to spend every day over there. Mostly because of the newest addition to our family.

I mean! Look at all the adorableness there.

Unfortunately, we couldn't stay and play forever.

The next day, the day before our flight back to Texas, we returned to the house and pulled up the hallway carpet, the two bedroom carpets, and 9,786,634,265,698,708,675 nails and staples. It took all day with only a short break for lunch. But we got it done.

The next day we spent all day on airplanes and at airports before a 1-hour drive home.

We had 4 days to get all the odds and ends packed up before our drive back to Rochester.

We got it done.

What we didn't bring with us, of which we are in desperate need, is furniture and shelving.

So, most of our stuff is on the floor, for now. I had to ask Keith to stop unpacking because we have nowhere to put all of our stuff! So, it's all over the floor.

Keith has already found a job. Which is great because we had been here for 4 days when we got hit with a school tax bill. $2,400.00!! Fortunately, we can make 3 payments. We paid the first payment, but between that and paying some of our credit card bills, we are now flat broke!

I'm very grateful to have my mommy so close by. We can go over there a few times a week to eat and she even sent us home with food.

I have blanketed the area with applications. I had two interviews with one place but ultimately didn't get it. I have another interview on Friday. On the bright side, not working gives me time to write and to exercise.

For those of you following along, I quit smoking cigarettes last March. I have not started smoking again, but I have gained too much weight. It's ok. I've already lost weight in the 2 weeks I've been here.

I have felt as lazy as Barney the Barn Cat.

I don't think I have actually been that lazy. There are several shops nearby that I like to walk to. I think walking has helped me lose a bit of weight. 7 pounds in 2 weeks. NOT BAD! I'm sure the laundry being in the basement also helps a lot. I go up and down these stairs many times a day.

The weather is gorgeous and we have been hiking already once. But that is a story for another day.

The view from our living room on a sunny day is to die for, don't you think?

So. Until next time, y'all. Be safe. See you in the funny pages!

All photos original by Jonica Bradley