It's 10pm on Saturday night. That means 11 and a half days since the family flew away (and probably at least as many more until I see them again), it also means 36 hours until the movers arrive to pack it all away. This is the moment I've been dreading for years, getting all of this "stuff" bundled up and out across the country. My preferred means of moving is to do it all myself in many, many car trips over a period of time. Having to prepare everything all at once for other people to move and then, once they're gone to have that be it with no second thoughts? Well...
It all seems like too much preperation for me. I got down to the annoying stuff to pack and then this evening my sister Jennifer spent hours helping me box and package stuff up... Until we ran out of boxes. That help was a great relief. And I think it puts me in a reasonably good position for tomorrow which is the day that everything needs to be done.
Sadly, I think there will be much more stuff to be moved than I had anticipated and I need to thoroughly size up what is left and get boxes for it... Then once it's done. I still have 5 days here in which I won't have a computer or a stereo or a phone or anything. That will be an interesting week.
2008-11-30
2008-11-22
Breakfast of Champion's!
Yep... Thank you, Shepard's! It actually was quite tasty. The one true Voodoo Donut.
I wonder what's for dinner?
Honestly, I do keep thinking that I need to eat some kind of greenery... But it's just not my way. The family is still gone and it just gets weirder feeling without them. As one would expect, my dietary ways are falling victim to it. At least I'm doing better than Lottie who is not pleased with the change of events: being alone all day, her girls being gone. She woke my up at five this morning with a terrible mournful howling. The poor girl.
In more relevant things, I have packed I think about 6 boxes. Sometimes I think I'm not going to get anywhere, but then sometimes I think that it is just that the furniture all still being around will make it seem unpacked. Who knows. Tonight and tomorrow I plan on doing some serious packing and, tomorrow especially, I need to make the storage space all ready for the movers. It will be nice to get that out of the way. Though the thought of trying to move all of the records back to the apartment so that I can sort through them is a bit overwhelming... Sorting them in the hallway of the storage place sound worse...
I wonder what's for dinner?
Honestly, I do keep thinking that I need to eat some kind of greenery... But it's just not my way. The family is still gone and it just gets weirder feeling without them. As one would expect, my dietary ways are falling victim to it. At least I'm doing better than Lottie who is not pleased with the change of events: being alone all day, her girls being gone. She woke my up at five this morning with a terrible mournful howling. The poor girl.
In more relevant things, I have packed I think about 6 boxes. Sometimes I think I'm not going to get anywhere, but then sometimes I think that it is just that the furniture all still being around will make it seem unpacked. Who knows. Tonight and tomorrow I plan on doing some serious packing and, tomorrow especially, I need to make the storage space all ready for the movers. It will be nice to get that out of the way. Though the thought of trying to move all of the records back to the apartment so that I can sort through them is a bit overwhelming... Sorting them in the hallway of the storage place sound worse...
2008-11-18
one foot after another
I have two re4asons for not posting. One is that this whole thing has been somewhat mentally overwelming, and I've been ignoring it at the same time. Blended with the reality that, aside from giving notice at work, I haven't done anything towards the move yet... Except for worry.
Now though? The family flew out this morning and are currently enjoying the below-freezingness of Vermont. I am about an hour into being home in this new situation and have my work cut out for me. Hopefully I can start doing some of it. I have 12 days to prepare for the magic move, and I can't quite tell if that seems like plenty of time, or no time at all.
Now though? The family flew out this morning and are currently enjoying the below-freezingness of Vermont. I am about an hour into being home in this new situation and have my work cut out for me. Hopefully I can start doing some of it. I have 12 days to prepare for the magic move, and I can't quite tell if that seems like plenty of time, or no time at all.
2008-11-01
Quiet days
I know, I haven't posted in a while, and the last post was a bit of a downer. Well, it's probably because I haven't done anything yet. I haven't given notice (at work or the apartment), looked for work, packed anything or made concrete moving plans.
Caitlin not only has given notice and has a week left of work, but also has her tickets! So I have some catching up to do... But, I have sent some feelers out for the moving, surfed around a bit to get a sense of the job situation (ek!) and Steve put in for his time off for the trip! So I think that next week will be the one to accomplish (or at least proceed with) the above steps.
That's all good! Yesterday I was feeling pretty good about the moving to Vermont, so I hope to expand on that with a more upbeat "Good things abut moving to the Kingdom" post, sometime soon. Though it is brief and not frequently updated, I did enjoy reading this blog, Our Vermont Travelblog, in which some folks are documenting their progress in visiting the 251 towns of Vermont. They even have a picture of the General Store that Caitlin grew up in, so that's fun!
Caitlin not only has given notice and has a week left of work, but also has her tickets! So I have some catching up to do... But, I have sent some feelers out for the moving, surfed around a bit to get a sense of the job situation (ek!) and Steve put in for his time off for the trip! So I think that next week will be the one to accomplish (or at least proceed with) the above steps.
That's all good! Yesterday I was feeling pretty good about the moving to Vermont, so I hope to expand on that with a more upbeat "Good things abut moving to the Kingdom" post, sometime soon. Though it is brief and not frequently updated, I did enjoy reading this blog, Our Vermont Travelblog, in which some folks are documenting their progress in visiting the 251 towns of Vermont. They even have a picture of the General Store that Caitlin grew up in, so that's fun!
2008-10-21
Well... Ignoring October 11th's post for a minute...
It's been a social weekend, with basically 5 "social moments" involving (basically) my 6 closest friends... I'm not the most social being, and I don't have a lot of friends, but I do value the ones I have, a number of whom I've had for a long time. They're good people, in fact, my pal Steve has even agreed to drive across with me! That's a great relief, though bringing someone else in on it also serves to brings things somewhat closer to home.
All of these pleasantries coming on the heels of my "drunken book club" a week ago, and it is all starting to sink in. I am a big proponent of "the best way to deal with change is to not think about it until it's done" but I am starting to fear that for the next two months (less!) I will probably fail at not thinking about it. No matter how much over the years I have grown dislike for how much this enviroment has changed in the last 15 years, it is still the only environment I've known and there is a lot that I like about it here, all my little places, sights and my history. And except for JDR, all of my people are still right here. It is eerie to think about going away from it all for good. And I'm not trying to be melodramatic, but I won't be coming back to visit much.
Coupled with my incessent fear of the below-zero winters in my future and the reality (no, I'm not just being negative) of how much more, well... "not easy" my worktime is going to become, and it is striking me that something is going to have to change about me in the near future to make this a positive change in the short run. Now, I do realize that personal change is generally a good thing. But as one of those friends recently said about themselves "I feel like a high-schooler who hasn't quite yet decided what to do with his life". Well, I can relate to that in some ways. Forty years on and I must admit that my life has been very, very easy and generally quite simple... And in a number of ways some things here are starting to come together for us, so preparing to leave (well, I haven't yet done any preparing, but still) gives me lots of stuff to fill my mind with. And the thought of personal change, even if it is for the better, is a great well of insecurity to flounder in.
It is somewhat schizophrenic right now, my rapid back and forth of: fears, regrets, excitement and relief. I am somewhat feeling at a loss for words, and somewhat of a loss for feelings. but then again, right now this whole post is seemingly like I'm blowing everything out of proportion. I need to post it now, before I delete it.
All of these pleasantries coming on the heels of my "drunken book club" a week ago, and it is all starting to sink in. I am a big proponent of "the best way to deal with change is to not think about it until it's done" but I am starting to fear that for the next two months (less!) I will probably fail at not thinking about it. No matter how much over the years I have grown dislike for how much this enviroment has changed in the last 15 years, it is still the only environment I've known and there is a lot that I like about it here, all my little places, sights and my history. And except for JDR, all of my people are still right here. It is eerie to think about going away from it all for good. And I'm not trying to be melodramatic, but I won't be coming back to visit much.
Coupled with my incessent fear of the below-zero winters in my future and the reality (no, I'm not just being negative) of how much more, well... "not easy" my worktime is going to become, and it is striking me that something is going to have to change about me in the near future to make this a positive change in the short run. Now, I do realize that personal change is generally a good thing. But as one of those friends recently said about themselves "I feel like a high-schooler who hasn't quite yet decided what to do with his life". Well, I can relate to that in some ways. Forty years on and I must admit that my life has been very, very easy and generally quite simple... And in a number of ways some things here are starting to come together for us, so preparing to leave (well, I haven't yet done any preparing, but still) gives me lots of stuff to fill my mind with. And the thought of personal change, even if it is for the better, is a great well of insecurity to flounder in.
It is somewhat schizophrenic right now, my rapid back and forth of: fears, regrets, excitement and relief. I am somewhat feeling at a loss for words, and somewhat of a loss for feelings. but then again, right now this whole post is seemingly like I'm blowing everything out of proportion. I need to post it now, before I delete it.
2008-10-17
Not winter yet
But my own misgivings and those other have expressed to me as the word of this venture spreads do have me questioning my solo cross-country drive in December. While in my idealism it seems unlikely that any of the interstate is left unmaintained in the winter, and also that December is too early to have to worry abut conditions in the Rockies and the Midwest... To some extent, I feel like those might not be true. Maybe is is somewhat treacherous to do this drive at the time of year that I have it planned. Well, I'll have to, regardless, as I'm not going down to Arizona and New Mexico! Maybe Utah will work?
On the brighter side, I just found out that a distant co-worker has a blog of Portland area history (Cafe Unknown)! I've looked though it a little and it's great (while I am dismissive of Portland current condition, I am thoroughly interested in Portland's past), even starting off with a post about Astoria! One of my all-time favorite places. This makes me wonder if there are any such blogs in the Northeast Kingdom? It seems like such a great idea for a blog, maybe there needs to be one?
Speaking of The Kingdom, while browsing around again this evening, I went and re looked at National Geographic's positive (yet brief) coverage of my soon-to-be home St. Johnsbury (which they named one of the 6 best small towns to live and work in the USA). The article is nice and positive, though reading it doesn't really remind me of St Johnsbury. Regardless, I know that I have a lot to learn about that place, and I think it will be fun to look things up and figure things out about the area!
On the brighter side, I just found out that a distant co-worker has a blog of Portland area history (Cafe Unknown)! I've looked though it a little and it's great (while I am dismissive of Portland current condition, I am thoroughly interested in Portland's past), even starting off with a post about Astoria! One of my all-time favorite places. This makes me wonder if there are any such blogs in the Northeast Kingdom? It seems like such a great idea for a blog, maybe there needs to be one?
Speaking of The Kingdom, while browsing around again this evening, I went and re looked at National Geographic's positive (yet brief) coverage of my soon-to-be home St. Johnsbury (which they named one of the 6 best small towns to live and work in the USA). The article is nice and positive, though reading it doesn't really remind me of St Johnsbury. Regardless, I know that I have a lot to learn about that place, and I think it will be fun to look things up and figure things out about the area!
2008-10-13
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown.
So last night we were watching OPB and of course, in their ad's for their shows they show all sorts of outdoor scenes of Oregon. Now the infamous "last time" that I got a chance to move away from here, that was certainly one of the great crutches that I used to convince myself to put up a stink. Now don't get me wrong, I'm no outdoorsman. I do enjoy being outdoors, but mainly just walking or light hiking around casually. For my purposes, Portland is in basically the ideal spot. The columbia River Gorge (one of the best places on earth) basically starts at the end of town, to the east are the dramatic volcanos of the Cascades and to the west? The pleasing Coast Range and behind those? The finest coast in the world and then the grand Pacific Ocean! I've always lived in this little spot (as you have no doubt heard by now) and I rather take it all for granted. But sometimes I feel like not having the Gorge, Mount Hood, Seaside, Cannon Beach and Astoria all within about an hours drive will be somewhat strange.
Again though, I think I am just projecting again. I have been looking at and visiting this stuff for decades, but they can't be the only good spots that there are. I'm sure that there are plenty of pleasing vistas in Vermont, and I've always really enjoyed all of the rocks there. The rocks in the fields, the rocks along the highway (those seem a bit odd now, after one of those Vermont highway rocks killed my cousin earlier this year), the little old rock walls...
Plus, I love the little vilages and churches and old farms. Change is good for the soul (or whatever) and friends keep reminding me that I've been talking about moving away for at least 16 years now.
Again though, I think I am just projecting again. I have been looking at and visiting this stuff for decades, but they can't be the only good spots that there are. I'm sure that there are plenty of pleasing vistas in Vermont, and I've always really enjoyed all of the rocks there. The rocks in the fields, the rocks along the highway (those seem a bit odd now, after one of those Vermont highway rocks killed my cousin earlier this year), the little old rock walls...
Plus, I love the little vilages and churches and old farms. Change is good for the soul (or whatever) and friends keep reminding me that I've been talking about moving away for at least 16 years now.
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