Eye of the hurricane

My aching back can attest to the fact that it is definitely moving time. We've had days and days of packing boxes, hauling out the trash and recycling, driving to the Goodwill drop-off point, and ordering more boxes...and more boxes. Yesterday was the big day--loading the truck. We hired the most excellent Zeke and Johnny of Intelligent Labor and Moving to load the truck. Those guys were amazing! They worked quickly, smartly, and kept a sense of humor the whole long, hot day. (If you are moving in the Boston area and are looking for responsible, efficient, and friendly movers on a budget, I highly recommend these guys! Give them a call!!)

It probably didn't help that we were still packing when they got there--I have to admit that I'm absolutely embarrassed about that. I've never been less than ready for moving day--I've always been so compulsive that I'm ready a day or two early. But not this time. This was the first time that I've been involved in moving a whole house, with children, and even though Tim and I shared the work, there was just...so...much...to...pack.

But in a "short" ten hours, the truck was loaded, and this morning off it went to the wilds of the Finger Lakes. Meanwhile, we're camping in our house--the closing for our new house has been delayed, so we decided to stay here in the Boston area until the closing on the house we're selling. It's a quick reminder of my college days, with lawn chairs in the living room and boxes serving as chairs, tables, and desks. But what are these children doing in my dorm room...? They're enjoying our in-home camping trip (complete with air mattresses) and love the space to run around and chase each other without fear of being impaled on the furniture.

It's going to be an interesting week. We're taking it easy, relatively speaking--we have the final cleaning of the house to do before we turn it over to the new owners, but for the most part, we're just hanging out. I'll actually be working from home next week before we leave town--good thing I don't do video conferences, because it would be hard to keep up a professional editorial presence when I'm sitting on the living room carpet in my shorts and t-shirt with my computer propped up on a box.

Ah, but then this is the eye of the hurricane. At the end of next week, we'll have the other half of the saga. Moving into the new house. Going from a cramped 4-room bungalow to a spacious two-story house with garage and workshop. I won't know where to put anything....

Now, let's just hope my back holds up!