Good at That.

Sat., May 4

So, it's almost 11pm and tonight is my first night in my new place.  I'm more worn out than I think I am as I've spent a good part of the day cleaning out of my old place and moving into my new one.  These last few hours I've been unpacking so the place feels more like home than just a bunch of boxes.  There's still a long way to go.

I have very little furniture, so making it "homey" can only go so far.  As I type this I'm sitting on my air mattress, watching a dvd, getting ready to sleep.  I'll admit to there being an element of disquiet sleeping in a new place, especially one as far away from other stuff as this is.  I'd feel better if the dogs were here (they're not - long story that doesn't need telling right now).

In their place I have some security next to me that I hope I never need to use.

I suppose I've had more than my fair share of "first nights" in new places in recent years (which, not surprisingly, corresponds to a similar number - minus one - of last nights) so you'd think I'd be used to it by now.  Hotels I get used to.  New places, well, they're different.  So far here tonight I've learned that the shower is good, for the first time in a long time I think I've got enough closet space, and I can envision what it will look like in a month.

My next few weeks are crazy so I should probably enjoy this little bit of quiet time as it won't last long.  I know I've said that countless times before, but perhaps I don't know any other way to live which actually sort of makes me sad.  I realize that I'm at a stage of life where I probably should be slowing down and I'm trying to do that.  I really am.  But the next couple of weeks, starting Monday, involve a drive from here to Charlotte to catch a cross-country flight, several days of finally packing big stuff into a truck in Phoenix, a 2,000 mile drive back, two days of unpacking the truck (with help I haven't found yet), a flight to Rochester for an event there followed by a couple of down days, then a flight back to Charlotte so I can drive home to finish "moving in".  All that in 2 weeks.  Oh - and I've got a number of "next" career opportunities in various stages of progress so that's happening - it needs to happen - along the way as well.

That's the plan, anyway.  It's important to have a plan although frankly, my plans have a way of changing.  I don't know if it's a problem with my planning, or that life sometimes has its own plan that I don't know about.  Either way, we'll see how these two weeks play out.  Then?  Not sure yet.  I don't have a plan that far in advance yet.

Sunday May 5

I finished cleaning out my apartment downtown today, so that's done.  Chapter over.  Then I moved most of the last stuff I have in storage here to the house today.  It wasn't all that simple as some of the reason that it's the last stuff is because it's bulky and heavy, and I didn't have any help.  But I'm fairly capable when I need to be.  It got moved.

I should probably be doing more unpacking right now, but I'm thinking of taking a shower, going to a fairly nice dinner (Italian is sounding good to me), and getting to bed at a reasonable time.  I've got a busy day tomorrow, and it will start early.  If all goes according to "plan" I'll be in Charlotte by around this time tomorrow.  But there's a lot that needs to happen between now and then.

The question I'm asking myself, and I think I know the answer, is whether to pack much for this significant trip or just get what I need when I get to Phoenix.  I have a philosophical issue with the $25 baggage fee (I know....fly Southwest) and I could probably get what I need for about that.  So, I suspect I'll pack fairly lightly.

Monday morning, May 6

I just noticed that I've been adding to this entry over the past few days but haven't posted it yet.  I just had my first official "meal" in my new place....scrambled eggs for breakfast sitting on my big front screened-in porch.  I don't have a table or chairs here yet, so I sat at the outdoor furniture I got but rarely use.  It's a beautiful morning....rainy crummy weekend followed by nice clear cool weather.

I'm trying to unpack as much "stuff" as I can this morning because if all goes according to the plan I explained earlier I'll be leaving here later today, and the next time I'm back will be a week from tomorrow in a truck full of my furniture so it will all need someplace to go.  I've downsized considerably in recent years, but still - whatever doesn't fit into the 16' truck stays behind.

I'm actually enjoying today so far, although I've spent so much time unpacking to find key things, responding to job calls/emails/working with the Directv guy, and generally straightening up that I may need to add a couple of hours to the day to finish all the stuff I need to do.  If we can agree on the concept that moving, in general, sucks then finding little ways to make is suck less is important.  I'm typically good at finding those nuggets.

I don't have much time to chat, as much as I'd love to.  As I said - it's a wonderfully pleasant day here and if I didn't know everything I had to do over the next ten days I might even be able to enjoy it.  But I feel like a hiker at the foot of a huge summit, just getting ready to start taking those first few steps up the path.

I could write about a bunch of other stuff...stuff happening in the world....but right now my world is a fairly small one and that's getting all my attention.  If I could only get the lump in the pit of my stomach to die down it'd all be fine.  But, barring that, it's pretty much a matter of plan the work then work the plan right now.  And this part begins in about an hour when I leave here.

Wish ne luck.  This is going to be interesting.