Moving Cross Country Day 47,001,936

Our worldly possessions.

Oh, this has to end soon. Right? RIGHT?!!!

Our Uboxes, which were promised to us for Monday, August 31 arrived today. And that is the most wondefulist of news. However, 7 Uboxes don't fit easily on my driveway and therefore one Ubox is kinda on the sidewalk. So, let's add this to another of the HOA infractions I'm sure are stacking upon us. The earliest these boxes can be picked up is Monday. 

One of the really great parts about living here is that Amazon comes overnight. In Texarkana, "Amazon Prime" meant anywhere from two days to a week. I got used to it. Today I received Luna's ear medicine, shelf paper, a cat box mat and shelves for under the bathroom sink before I even woke up. 

The handyman we hired is awesome. He has a mildly autistic son who is helping him. Unfortunately, son is extremely meticulous and goes at his own pace. Though I don't mind this too much, I do need to set up my bedroom this weekend. So, I'm not giving too much leeway for the painting. And honestly, if I had a ladder available, I probably could have done this myself. But my time has been better spent, cleaning the place (the former owners are pigs) and running up the credit card. 

After two days of cleaning, the house is feeling more like my home. I'm making landscaping plans for the front yard--like removing the rogue palm tree growing in my hedge. I've put in shelf paper and made plans for each drawer. I believe Marty and the Young Adults have opted to install a "coffee bar" by the kitchen table, because I'm not willing to part with counter space. 

Though we are still discovering some of the home's eccentricities, of all the houses we saw, nothing is making me regret this purchase. It was the best of the bunch. Also, we've been told by every stranger with an opinion, that the City of DeBary is the best of the locations around here. 

And even when I start feeling pissy and selfish about the move, our new house and some of our challenges, I look at my text messages and count my blessings. Corona Jenny is currently hospitalized. She's had three heart procedures in four weeks. Now, she's back in the hospital and she's scared. The notes to Jenny going around today were sweet and heartbreaking. Corona Suzy, Little Miss Hates Me (she really does), Corona Cindy and Corona Sherry all went to stay with Jenny. I sent my own private message as well. It puts my life in perspective. 

The eventual office/sewing room.
It's purple! Squee!!!!!!

Great room. Couches are in the Uboxes.

Corona Ruthie gave me that welcome sign. 

Lots of Heavy Sighing

A friend, who is a former ex-pat, once told me when she moved back to the US, every purchase decision she made carried the same weight as if she were buying a toaster. At the time, I found that fascinating. When I moved to Texas, I understood exactly what she meant. And now I'm living it again. 

I'm making buying decisions from ceiling fans to mops. Every decision lasts a maximum of four seconds. The decision consists of a heavy sigh (two of those seconds) and pointing to my preference based on color, style or price.   

Yesterday I picked blue paint for soon to be not-black bedroom walls. The only white walls to test out the colors were in the closet. I also put the blue paint samples on the black walls. Neither sample looked great in either setting. But I also realize both look better than the black. So, I sighed and pointed to one of them. If I have regret over my choice, I'll change it later. Or I won't.  

I've spent way too much time at Lowe's and WalMart, sighing and shoving stuff into my shopping cart. We spent half of Serbia's GDP on cleaning supplies yesterday--the seller's left us a going away present of a filthy home. I also bought a broken ceiling fan (returned and replaced), a toilet and industrial vinegar for weed control. There are still lots of other decisions to make: dishes--ours were left in Texas--shelf paper, a vet to treat Luna's ear infection, drivers licenses, bank accounts, desk chairs, trash cans, and a toaster. 

Florida Life

The only home
purchase I've made. 

We've been in Florida since Friday and done very little. That's okay. Our nervous systems are shot from the past month. Or, at least mine is. This is down time while we wait for our furniture to arrive. 

Some day I'll write about my last week in East Texas. Or, I won't. Everything from the last Corona night to the card Tessa gave me was extreme in its own way. Plus, I'm shocked at the number of text messages I've gotten since we moved. Folks just saying hello. I appreciate all the kindness. 

But, back to Florida. 

The young adults go out every day, exploring. Yesterday they found an ice cream shop and an Irish Pub. Buck has also found every gym in town and managed to wrangle a trial membership to one of them. Polly and I also breezed through the Hobby Lobby, looking at decorating ideas for her bedroom. We walked through the aisles marveling, like crazed tourists. By the way, I'd forgotten how wonderful a FULL SIZED Hobby Lobby is! Yep, a mini-Hobby Lobby is a thing. And not a good one. 

Yesterday, we had our final walk-through on the new house. The young adults were more excited than I thought they'd be. They agree the master bedroom must be painted asap. I mean, who paints a bedroom black? Yesterday we also brought over a bag of sulphur and Marty liberally sprinkled it around the back yard, while I pointed out inches of space he missed. I'm just doing my part to ensure the snakes go elsewhere. 

Today we close on the house. Afterwards, we'll get to work painting and doing all sorts of things. And this lull will be part of our history. 

Moving Cross Country Day 2,908,671

I'm sitting in an Air B&B in Debary Florida. Or, DeBary. Not sure which spelling yet. After two days of driving, we arrived last night. I'm tired and not ready to process much else. However, I have to read 6 tons of papers that need to be signed for the closing of our new home. That's about all I have right now. 

A Surprise Send-Off

I'm a bit floored by the phone call I received today. It was the pastor of the Church of Christ. I knew he has my number (and e-mail). He knows my name. He knows Marty Sunshine. We've texted before about random things. I think the world of his wife too. But I've always just assumed I'm just someone in the congregation. 

Anyway, the pastor called because he wanted to know if lunch was an option tomorrow. Not just the Sunshines and him, but his wife and a few others who know us. Yes. Lunch sounds great--and not only because every pan here on Arizona Avenue is packed. The gang getting together makes me laugh. 

Then he asked if the Sunshines would like to come up to the front, during Chruch have the elders surround us and pray over Marty and I. His other option was to mention we were leaving from the pulpit, and and wish us well. I went with option two, lest we scare off Marty and Buck, who both plan on coming. And honestly, I am not someone who wants to stand in front of a bunch of folks and be surrounded by elders praying over me anyway. 

Not gonna lie, I broke down during our phone call, overwhelmed by the extension of friendship. This is how amazing this church is. Friendly. Positive. It speaks volumes that three Catholics from the same family attend voluntarily--though only one of the three goes regularly. This isn't a small church. On any given Sunday, there's about 400 people in the pews. I'm not friendly, but I'm not standoffish either. But I honestly never expected anything like this. And I assure you, nothing like this happens in a Catholic church.  

All Grown Up

 

2006

2010

Pollywog is 26 today. Hard to believe this sweet thing is so grown up. At one time she'd discuss the finer points of chocolate candy. Now, she's talking about a restaurant in Florida she heard of where she and I can order chocolate martinis. 

It is also my youngest brother's birthday. He's 53 today. 

Moving Cross Country Day 19,111

You get the idea. 

Yesterday I realized I forgot to tell folks we were moving. I mean, I strategically mentioned the whole Florida-thing at church a few Sundays ago, knowing the word would get around. I thought that would be enough. 

But it wasn't. There are folks in Texarkana who don't go to this church--or any other church who hadn't heard. So, I posted on the ole' Facebook. Word got out. I'm overwhelmed by the kindness of others. 

***

We have a few logistics issues that, had I not been a former real estate agent, we would have been blindsided by. The biggie being how sellers sign over the deed for their home. 

I thought sellers just came in and signed when it suited them. Not in Texas. Here, it's a big party the day of closing, where the buyer and seller get together and sign all together. And according to the small minded, inflexible  escrow officer there's no other way to do this--even if the seller will be in, say...Florida? the day of closing. This has caused a huge cluster of crazy. Fortunately, the escrow officer in Florida stepped up (also agreeing that that has to be the stupidest thing either of us has heard of) and is willing to help get us signed so we can close on our new house and not be in breach of contract. 

What gets me is that nobody bothered to mention this until I reached out to escrow and tried to make an appointment to sign. I was told no. I explained the situation and was still told no. I offered to find a power of attorney who'd sign on my behalf. That was a "hell no." (because title officers are lazy and just don't want to deal with the paperwork) I have to sign--no matter what--on the day of closing. 

The unfortunate result of this is we are leaving another day early to meet with the Florida escrow officer, around her schedule. 

***

In other news, I have two good-bye food dates today (soup!) and two good-bye food dates tomorrow. I'm tired of eating. And I'm really tired of saying good-bye. It is emotionally draining and I'm overwhelmed by the kindness of others.