Found treasures...

***Warning, this entry is very choppy. Lots going on around me as I try to vent for the day. Please be patient.***

So as we were assessing all of my worldly goods remaining in the house to see what my "loss" was I found a few treasures that required saving.

A small wooden heart that used to hang in my grandmothers kitchen that professes "If mom ain't happy ain't nobody happy!"

A Micky Mouse keychain that says William.

My Fist Communion Book, Rosary was in the jewelry that I had not unpacked yet and was found during fire night clean-up.

Will's First Communion cards from just last month.

Nic's blue address book with links to friends in far off states.

Some new scrap stuff that I was so excited to find before we left IA at Archivers. It was still in the bag, did not resonate an odor, and I will use it.

I am sure that Fred found a few things but honestly we were together very little today and when we were together it was not all roses and lollipops. At the end of the day I was raw with emotion and Fred spoke in just the wrong tone, I broke. Within an hour we recovered and went about our life in the new normal.

We enjoyed a hot tasty dinner at the Macaroni Grill then a quick stop at CVS. We have very little on the docket for tomorrow. One afternoon obligation and a hope for a trip to Chuck E. Cheese. I have been promising a trip since the week we moved in. It's time. I am hoping to get a quick trip in to the library and the post office. Oh what I have to look forward to.

The boys spent the day with some of our infamously amazing neighbors. They were tired and worn out by the time I picked them up and should sleep well tonight. They do seem to tense up when we arrive in the hood. Hopefully that is something we can work through. It will be a long summer otherwise.

OK, time to crash, actually should have about an hour ago. 'Night!

Another day... More smokiness

Today was my day to visit the house. I thought I'd give Fred a day off. He probably needed it. My trip was short but long enough that I smelled a hint of smoke for the rest of the day. Trying to be prudent about clean clothes I opted not to change. I did take LOTS of pictures of stuff today and then went to Michael's to get some ideas on price. I also went to Amazon.com and scrolled through 30 pages of board games to jog my memory of what titles we had. I came up with a list just under 50. We know we had more than that because there were a few games from museum stores and Discovery toys that I could not get the titles of. Adding up real prices for the ones I could find was about $800. Add in the 15 titles I couldn't find prices on and maybe 5 more that we can not recall titles on... so about 60 games! At least $1000.00! Who would have thought?

My dad is almost here. He saw the house before the blaze so I am anxious to see his reaction to the after. I posted a few more pics, none are easier to look at. It's bad.

Tomorrow will be a long day of sorting through rubble and making a list of items that are not salvageable. It is a daunting task but with Fred and me and Dad and the content adjuster we should get through it OK. It will be hot and stinky.

Dad and Fred just arrived. Off to chat I'm sure till way too late. More tomorrow I'm sure. Keep praying, it's not over yet...

more pics

A few more

No words required

Settling in to the new normal.

So we have moved back to the hotel in Plano and at 10:15 AM both boys are still sleeping. I always looked a little confused with the people who would go to a breakfast bar in a hotel and fill a huge tray of food. I considered the fact that they might be feeding themselves all day. Well this morning I was the one with four drinks, three pieces of fruit, one bowl of rice, two bowls of cereal, one plate with Canadian bacon and some pound cake. Oh and I also had two cartons of milk and some sugar packets. I bet that I was a sight to see.

Fred has already left to go back up to the house. He will spend a little time there, a bit of time at our storage unit and he needs to run to work to shred some documents that are crucial but damp. We will get them replaced. Need to start that list! After he done with all of that he needs to go to Best Buy and pick me up a laptop. Doesn't that sound like he's getting me a gallon of milk? We lost one computer to our move and now two more to a fire. Thankfully Fred grabbed his work laptop and our external hard drive on his way out of the house on Wednesday. A neighbor was gracious enough to hold them for us and we remain connected. AMEN!

Well I recovered a few pictures off of my camera that I would like to share. These are in no way related to the fire, I took them in the few days prior. Check out these kids. Gotta love em!

Searching for my Veraestau

I must preface this by saying that I am working on a Mac and can not figure out how to right click. Be patient. I can not flippin figure out how to add a photo or link. UGH!

So when my mother was young her family went through a HORRIFIC tragedy when their house in Lawrenceburg, IN caught on fire, was destroyed, and lives were never the same. This large family was displaced during a tough time but was lucky enough to be friends with the owner of Veraestau. I may not have the details correct but Veraestau was a mansion on a hill, a bluff perhaps, above the Ohio River. It had a LONG entry drive, white rail fence, and Indian burial mound and a lookout/gentleman's room where "business" of the day took place by only those slim enough to fit up the narrow stairway, ie no gals in large skirts. Well, while the house on Ridge Ave. was being rebuilt Veraestau was home and in the future became the site of many family gatherings. Heck it may have only been one year but my memory tells me it was more than one? Feel free to correct me. I can picture in my head two photos from said events... Grandaddy sitting on a chair on the bluff, king of the domain. and a juxtaposition, my younger brother Ben at about 4 running around helping people out by finishing their beers. There is a great picture of him "napping" near a Budweiser. Makes me smile to think about Ben!

I need a Veraestau. I need a house on the hill to hide out in while my world is put back together. The most promising house in the neighborhood requires a 2 year lease, nope, not for me. There are other possibilities. Something will work for us. I have hope.

I have clean underwear and new PJ's and I think I need a shower and a rest. We are moving to a hotel tomorrow for some privacy and down-time. Our surrounding and support have been amazing. Through all of this MY CUP OVERFLOWETH. Amen!

When it rains it pours...

So, my bad kinda sad day yesterday turned into terror at about 9:45 central time. I was out running errands ALONE and got caught in a nasty storm. I had just done some significant damage at Kohl's and was at Kroger trying to take advantage of sales and get a little more "me" time. The sky opened as I left the store and I decided to pause for about 10 minutes waiting for a break. I called Fred and told him I was trying to leave but the storm was nasty and I had a bunch of groceries to load up. Well, I drove about 20 MPH getting home because I was a bit nervous on unknown dark roads. About 1/2 way home Fred called screaming... "The house is on fire! Get home now!" It was the longest 5 miles of my life. I screamed and prayed and tried to drive safely and just get there. When I arrived I frantically looked for the kids and was taken in by some neighbors and they then found the boys and the dog at another neighbors house. Fred was working the phone and trying to save my van. Damn him, didn't he know I wanted a new one?

The night was long and emotional to say the least. We were able to get inside sometime around 2 and save what we could. The scrapbooks were totally dry, the scrap room, not so much. The playroom was toast to the nth degree. There is ceiling on my floor, there is water in places that it is not meant to be wet. But... we are safe. We have had amazing outreach and support from neighbors we have not even met. Housing and clothes are not big concern yet... Fred is being strong and methodical and inquisitive. We have never had to call in on a claim for our house. It is a learning experience.

I was in the house this morning with Nic and took some photos. I am using a neighbors Mac. so I have no idea how to upload. it is bad. It is scary. We are safe.

I am sad...

I just got some sad news today. There is hope but today I want to be sad for just a bit. Please say a prayer for me and for those I love that it will all turn out just right. Later...

Is Dr. Pepper good for your skin?

I took a late shower and was hunting for lunch when I remembered that Fred had finished off the last Sunkist in the fridge last night. I should restock right? I head to the garage, grab a Dr. Pepper, drop said Dr. Pepper and proceed to get showered by Dr. Pepper! I was clean for less than 30 minutes and headed directly back to the shower. UGH! Now I will go back out and grab tightly onto a couple of Dr. Peppers and a couple of Sunkist and find myself some lunch.

Leo through and through!

You are a very creative person, so why not create something today? You don't have to paint a painting or create a typical type of artwork -- baking cookies, putting together a new outfit, or even making a mixed CD are all great ways to express yourself in a unique way. Create something for someone you care about and give them your creation as a gift -- they'll appreciate the extra effort and thoughtfulness, and they'll love showing you their gratitude.

I think that my horoscope is a message. I should be making some cards today! I am off to shower and see how that goes.

The good news is that I did put away the last box from the Living Room and worked on the kitchen and dining room. We even made it to the pool yesterday and I made a very yummy dinner and "homemade" dessert. I'll post about that later!

Happy Tuesday!

Yeah Kittle's!

Made you look huh? Why is writing about Kittle's when she lives in TX and Kittle's in is Indy? Well, thanks to the power of the Internet I was able to inquire about a very specific piece we needed for Nic's bed and they have come through. And at a GREAT price I might add. Nic and Will have interchangeable bedroom furniture. It is not the exact same brand but it is a light, natural finish and it mixes and matches pretty well. Nic decided that he would like to have the bunkable bed in his new room but we suggested he loft it instead of bunk it so that he would have room for a desk in his room. He was keen on the idea but really wishes he had a ladder. Well the end of the bunk is kind-of designed for climbing on but is not real comfortable on your feet. (I state this with personal experience.) I tried to find the ladder around here but was not having much luck. I went on-line to Kittle's.com and they carry the brand so I sent an e-mail last night, close to 11PM to the availability and pricing contact at Kittle's. Well, she just called me back and I am getting the ladder when we are in Indy for the wedding/anniversary/birthday extravaganza next month. YEAH! It is paid for and being held at the distribution center with my name on it! Thanks Kittle's

We also had some luck getting a great desk for Fred yesterday at THE DUMP. This place is pretty cool and had decent prices. They are only open F, S & S and they move through about 65% of their showroom floor each weekend. You can not special order, you are often buying "off the floor" but in some things they have a small stock. We were lucky enough to find a massive desk that was one of three left in the store so it was all wrapped and boxed for us to drive it home. If I had know what the desk weighed... I might have paid the $139 delivery fee. This thing is like a small elephant. We knew it could be disassembled to a degree but even the parts were heavy. Fred spent some quality time trying to set it all up and get the drawers filled with his junk and files. It is not sitting in it's long term position in the room but we can not move it until we find a home for some more boxes in there. We'll get there. Hopefully sooner than later.

OK, I am working on reducing piles and being able to see all of the granite in the kitchen. So far the island is clear so that is definite progress. Off to get myself packed up for a few errands...

Oh what a night... Sorry about the photo placement, blogger is being difficult, or maybe it's just me?

So we didn't make it to the CTK festival but we had a great Saturday night none the less. We were invited to our neighbor's for a little party on the driveway. Well the invite said there would be a BIG surprise and it was BIG! They had a jumbo blow-up screen in their front yard and were projecting the Wii onto it for kids young and old to play. It was great once it got dark enough. They also pulled out their ping pong table too. We got to meet some neighbors, all of whom seem really nice. We heard some stories about the hood, some good, some... not so much. Lots of bragging about the school and the amazing sports program and what a great place Frisco is to raise a family. We feel very content. Fred is so content he is still over there! Fred, stayed at a party longer than me! Go figure. He is in his element with the neighbors. Talking a little business, threatening to get involved in a "friendly" poker game, one of the neighbors even offered to take us out for a steak dinner! My kinda neighbor!

Well, last night ended way to early for me. I retreated to my bed at 9:00 with my first Texas Migraine. It was a doozy! I brought it on myself because I got really stressed about a HUGE mistake I made yesterday.

When I got the mail just before 5 I was tearing into it and found a bill for our State Farm auto insurance. I thought to myself... I should call and cancel that so I don't have to pay this bill. I caught our agent's assistant in the office at 4:58 and told her to cancel the policy effective today. OOPS! Fred knew that our policy expired on the 23rd of the month so instead of being owed a refund he thought to just let the policy run out and start the new policy on the 23rd. Yep, when I checked the policy info that I received last week our policy date was effective June23. Well, that means that I just put myself, my husband and our leased vehicles in MAJOR jeopardy because I cancelled the insurance a couple days too soon.

YIKES! I tried to call State Farm, they of course were gone but I was forwarded to the 24 hour service center. I was too impatient so I decided to see if Liberty Mutual could change our start date from Mon. to Fri.? Worth a try right? Well, they couldn't do it. They would have to cancel the new policy and write an even newer one and it took and agent and they were just the help desk. Not authorized to write a new policy on Friday at 5:30. Back on the phone to State Farm. "Lucy" was not so helpful and pretty much said I was screwed. Well, with my hubby breathing down my neck and throwing cable ties I told Lucy that I could not accept that and needed to talk to someone who might have a better idea. She patched me through to Liz who had a great idea. Let's call the agent at home and see if she can help. Well, I had already looked up the agent's home number in the M-town phone book and was almost ready to do the same thing. 5 minutes later Phyllis, my agent, called and said we were good to go and I could tell Fred I was allowed to drive anywhere I wanted. THANK YOU GOD! AND PHYLLIS! I am so sending her a thank you note on Monday! Fred chalks in up to small town Iowa and for that I am grateful.

Well, I don't think I ever settled down from that so it was a rough night and the migraine won this round. I recall waking around 10:30 with an acheness to my body but not my head. I think I get so stressed at times that I get tense and it is hard to release that so it sticks with me even after the headache has passed. I so hope that my kids don't suffer with migraines. They suck!

Ok, we had a good day today. While I collapsed last night Fred built my Ikea Expedite shelving unit for me. It is a white 5X5 cube grid thing that holds TONS of children's books and scrap crap. It looks really great in my space and I only wish it had a little more breathing room. It looks too stuffed. I need to purge some books and magazines then I will be set.

Tomorrow we are on a quest for office furniture for Fred. He has done an AMAZING job of clearing out boxes from his office. The room was packed to the gills two days ago. I think he is anxious to have a workspace to call his own and I can not blame him. He has done without since we left Michigan and this office is so great and it even has doors. He always wanted doors.

Fred is still down the street and the boys are hopefully asleep, guess Pete and I will turn in. Before we find the perfect office suite I need to get to church, we need to drop a broken CPU off at Best Buy and we have to find a Game Stop so that the boys can download a free Pokemon dealio tomorrow. I had better get some rest!

Gratitude...

Just a quick note listing a few gratitudes that have been on my mind of late...

1. We made it here to TX safe and sound.

2. Fred continues to be employed and works hard for us and Lennox.

3. The boys haven't killed each other yet this summer. We have had tense moments but nothing a little time apart doesn't help.

4. We are finding our way around Frisco. Tried some very tasty pizza at Brooklyn's last night and ran to Kroger for more stuff to stock the fridge.

5. I am in love... with the Frisco Library. I did not realize how much I had missed the library. I really missed it and am now thrilled to read and read and read some more!

6. There will always be laundry thus I will always be needed in the Baker house. It is job security at its finest. Off to sort and wash!

You Are Jasmine!

Independent and adventurous. You don't want much; just to break out of the guilded cage society has put you in and experience life to the fullest. Following orders isn't really one of your strong points, and you would rather live a life of poverty than being forced into something that you hate.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

DO NOT CALL!

So I guess I forgot to get myself on "the list," the governments do not call list that is. I have received no less than 9 calls attempting to solicit services for the home security system on the house. I have also been the winner in two separate but VERY similar sounding sweepstakes and someone is trying to reach me about magazines. My phone has never rung so much in my life!

So I called a family meeting tonight of those present and we had a little pow wow about the benefits of caller ID. We have caller ID but we hardly ever use it. Now we will! Both boys know that if anyone calls that has alarm or secur in their name or if the are private or unknown we do not need to answer. People who love us will find us and call us. These freaks may just give up one of these days.

On to more exciting news.... It rained here today. HARD! It was noisy and cooling and I am not complaining. Late this afternoon the boys and I ventured out to our new church to register, to Target for returns, WalMart for a small purchase and a big purchase, we ordered Will's glasses, then to Game Stop then to Hobby Lobby. We all got a bit of what we wanted and walked away very happy. I offered McD's for dinner but the boys were looking forward to Walking Tacos so home we came. Yum!

After dinner I put away an office box, took more boxes to the garage, opened another picture box, and put away some candles. I also payed bills, balanced check books, and made a BIG pile for Fred to go through and another pile just to be filed when he gets home for the weekend. The good thing is that as I shift the paper I keep finding more flat surface in the kitchen. Of course I need to clean the flat surface and I am very nervous about these granite counter tops but I will figure it out. I must.

OK, time to kiss and tuck the boys. We have to be out of the house by 8:30 AM tomorrow to take the boxes that are filling the back of my van. We found a place in the next town who will buy them for CASH! I am hoping to make enough to pay for a trip to Chuck E. Cheese! Maybe even enough to buy ice cream at the end. We can hope!

It's a good day when...

You can stay in your PJ's till 2 and it's not because you are sick!

You get to talk to a gal pal from MI on your home phone that includes unlimited long distance.

You can call your dad in the middle of the day on the same phone with a random bit of news and can afford to leave a message since he's not there.

You make breakfast, lunch and dinner for your family with food from your own cabinets. No take out or drive through today people. No gourmet meals either, but they were prepared with LOVE!

You meet two more neighbors and one of them is named Susan and she scrapbooks!

Your older son tries to console the younger one who says he's been having nightmares since we moved in. Nic is even sleeping on the floor in Will's room to provide support.

You figure out a few more of the mystery light switches. I knew we had up-lights on our house but could not figure out where the switch is. FYI, it is in the Dining Room. Why didn't I think to look there first?

You take time to read 4 chapters in a book that has been in cue for way too long. I am never going to earn a prize in the Frisco Library Adult Summer Reading Program if I don't step it up!

Your dog eats breakfast and dinner and is regular enough that you need to poop scoop the back yard. And said backyard it small so it takes like 4 minutes.

It is just after 10 and you can go to bed.

Some obeservations at the close of week 1

So we have been in Texas just a bit longer than a full week. It has been a whirlwind of activity and business but I do want to take a moment to note a few observations I have made thus far.

1. It's hot here.

2. There are no small churches and the Super Target is in a league all it's own here. Things are bigger in TX.

3. Did I mention that it is hot here?

4. My boys are not to be ignored. They had a very tough week, some very positive stuff and lots of tear and sad moments. What I mean by the fact that they will not be ignored is that each boy really knew how he was feeling and was very willing to share. Nic was missing daddy last week while he was traveling. Will REALLY wants to meet every kid within a five mile radius. I guess I am happy that they feel safe enough to share that with me. I think it is good to have those open lines of communication. I hope it never ends.

5. If you are hungry... there is food, LOTS of food to choose from. Of course the closest Panera is like 10 miles away but that is maybe not such a bad thing. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

6. We are drinking ourselves out of the fridge. With the heat and hard work put in last week we all seems to be upping the fluid intake. Note to self, buy more juice pouches and more toilet paper.

7. Everyone who is not behind the wheel of a car on a toll way seems really nice. There was a rather non-committal clerk at Target today, but most people seem genuinely friendly.

8. We have a lot of stuff and a house without a basement does pose a challenge. Even with my purging we still have a lot.

9. Kroger is a great grocery store and I am happy to have it in my neighborhood once again.

10. Oh yeah, last but so not least, it's HOT!

I am missing all of my Iowa pals very much and am concerned about the flooding all over the state. I have kept my link to KCCI and am hoping to see improvement in the next few days.

Texas does seem far away but I am hoping to make some connections in the hood, we are venturing to the pool this week, I promised, and I now have all inclusive long distance, I will be in touch!

OK, I must get the last two boxes in the kitchen done. I had a successful Target and Ikea run today and picked up some very useful organizational items. The horizontal pan holder is perfect and the suspended shoe organizer from Ikea is great. I should have bought one more. Guess I'll have to go back! The boys and daddy spent some time and money at Dave and Busters celebrating fatherhood and sonhood and I continued to make the house a home. It will never end.

We're done.. all unpacked!

PSYCH! Not even close. Well, closer but not close enough. I have tackled a bit of my scrap space and got REALLY worried when I unpacked the paper holding cubes to find 90% of the paper removed. The best way to transport would have been in those cubes. Oh well, no one ever said these guys were smart. After some feverish looking I have found the VERY heavy paper box in the downstairs office. I will be taking it up to the scrap space in smaller increments. No benefit in aggravating an ulcer just to be creative. It will all find its way upstairs eventually. Fred has diligently worked on the kid space today and I have knocked out 80% of the kitchen. I still need to store my baking sheets but I need a vertical organizer. The obvious cabinet to store them in is huge so they will not stay upright on their own. I hope to get out tomorrow to get some supplies.

Fred and the boys drove Grandpa to the airport this afternoon while I went to Kroger. I signed up for my Kroger Savings Club Card and bought a $300 gift card on my way in. They have a deal that if you buy a $300 card you get an extra $30 on the card. Since I know I will be using it I bit the bullet and paid up. I managed to get through $220 of it today. We are more stocked but I still forgot stuff. I bought some yummy looking green beans to make with the Garlic Lime Chicken that I planned to make for Father's Day. Too bad I forgot the lime juice. I did not forget the chicken. I bought some ice cream treats and lots of condiments and had many comments on my large order. I was quick to explain... stocking the fridge takes LOTS of stuff.

Well, I should get back to work. I am trying to do some laundry between unpacking boxes. Fred is going back out of town tomorrow evening so I need to wash all of his clothes from last week to get packed again for this week. The fun never ends! And I never want it to!

I'm connected!

We are wired! We all put in a LOT of work today. Fred got his truck to fit in the garage and I have many things placed in my kitchen, thanks to Dad. Sadly we have not located the silverware just yet but it's gotta turn up soon. It is likely in the bottom of a box that I am avoiding, UGH!

OK, dad is taking us out for a sit down meal in celebration of our new digs. We have eaten out plenty this week but never at a place that included waitstaff. I am looking forward to a hot meal and a cool glass of lemonade in a real glass glass.

OK, I will do my darnedest to get a photo out soon of some great bit of progress we have made in turning this house into our home. Stay tuned...

The final "transition" blog post!

So tomorrow morning I am reunited with my worldly belongings. I have not heard anything more specific than 8-10 AM but that is good enough for me. I will get up and out early then Dad, the boys and Pete will follow later. We took a load of stuff up this afternoon and put the garage door openers in the cars. We had a picnic lunch of Subway and Pete christened the yard. Later we returned to the hotel to do some more laundry, hey, it's FREE, and the boys went swimming one last time. We pulled ourselves together in time to enjoy the cookout/sundowner reception then treated ourselves to Baskin Robbins for dessert. YUM!

I must be honest and tell you that I have not taken a single photo in more than a week. That is not completely true because I did take a pic with my camera phone but it didn't turn out. This car had a weird dog magnet on the back and I tried to take a pic so that mom could identify the breed.

So an uneventful day leads to an uneventful night. The highlight was definitely the mint chocolate chip ice cream and the sad part will be unhooking myself from Internet access until the Cable Guy comes on Friday to the house. I'll make it, I'm sure I'll make it! Until then... Peace!

Oh yeah, before I forget... Stangest sound of the day... Dad taking a photo with a FILM camera and hearing the film advance then with the final shot of Pete, hearing it rewind. Strange yet familiar.

Best quote of the week... "Mom, does Wolfgang Puck work here making coffee?" Nic inquires after seeing a tent sign in our room about the exclusive Wolfganag Puck coffee available in our room.

It was a LONG day... I'm tired!

It all started simply enough. With too little sleep and too much hunger. The boys and dad went down to breakfast. I showered in peace. Dad talked to Ben about an important e-mail issues and we were off and running.

We headed north and dropped Pete at PetSmart for daycare. We then ran by the house so quickly that dad didn't even see it. Don't worry I drove past again. After that we went by our new church and then to ... IKEA! It was dad's first time and I so wish I had a camera. We ate meatballs and chocolate cake. Dad received a mug for free coffee for life from any Ikea store. Just remember the mug! After that we browsed, investigated and bought! We filled our cart and have a few larger items to return for. All good. We spent about 2 hours there, much to the boys' chagrin. They survived... but just barely.

After that we went back to the hotel to chill, swim, launder and re-group. All of the afore were successful then we headed back up to the house for a final walk-through. The house looked GREAT! Clean and empty and ready for our stuff. I so wish we were getting our stuff tomorrow. Guess we'll just have to wait. I do get to sign my life away tomorrow at 8:30 AM and should have the keys in my hands by 11:30 or so. I will return to the hotel, grab the boys and dad and Pete and some of our STUFF and then we'll grab Subway and have a picnic lunch in the new house. Good plan huh?

After that we will come back, swim, maybe launder, and prep for moving out of the hotel on Thursday. I may run some more STUFF up to the house, just to make Thursday lighter. We have a lot of stuff. Pete is going to go back to day care for Thursday until we can turn on the AC and close the doors. It is too hot and too open for him to be there during the move-in. He did so well during the pack and load that I just do not want to push my luck. Although I know that daycare is stressful I do think it is best for all involved.

I am hoping that by Thursday night I will be ready to get a load from the grocery to go in my new fridge that will be delivered Thursday along with all of my other household goods. It will be an exciting day. It may even get to be more exciting if Fred is able to come home that day instead of Friday. We'll pick him up whenever he gets in. All good, all good.

OK, I am whipped. I have to be up at 7:00 to be out the door by 8:00. Haven't done that in a few weeks. Better set an alarm!

Bummer in the summer dude.

So the day started out well. I was up first, as usual, and the boys and Fred were quick to follow. We all headed downstairs for breakfast and it was yummy and FREE! After breakfast I verified directions and the boys and I headed to Frisco to get Toll Tags and Library Cards. The Toll Tag thing took a little longer than it needed to but was successful in the end. The nice lady helping us had lived in Canton, MI at some point in her life and the gentleman ahead of me in line moved here from Rochester Hills recently. It is a small world. Haven't met anyone who has even heard of State Center yet but I'm still looking.

After the Toll Tag thing we headed to the other end of the building to check out the library. In all of my preparing I forgot the Insurance policy that shows my name and my address and looks official. No library cards without that. UGH! We decided to explore anyway and that may have been a mistake. The second floor is devoted to youth and it was AWESOME. They had lots of series that the boys enjoy and computers and movies and space. It was cool. They really wanted to check out books so I decided to try a plan B. I left them in the kids area and went back to the other end of the building and talked to the utilities office. I had faxed my application a week or more ago and they had me on file. They printed off an account statement, stamped it City of Frisco and back I went. This was official enough and we are now card carrying members of the Frisco Public Library! WhaHoo!

After the boys checked out a few books we headed back to the hotel to have lunch and take daddy to the airport. The gourmet meal of bun length all beef hot dogs was well received and we left here with plenty of time to get Fred there on time. The trip was a bit stressful but I am sure it would have been worse in rush hour. We made it there and back thanks to "Jack" and are ready to do it again tonight to get Dad!

So once we got back I was worn out from the stressful drive so I took a nice nap. Will computed, Nic PS2'd and Pete was a bum. At 4 we had plans to go swimming for a bit, get cleaned up and then attend the Manager's Reception in the lobby. FREE food, beer, wine and fountain drinks. All good in my book! Well, the boys got ready and we headed down to see a cloud on the surface of the pool. I was leery to I checked with the front desk and they sent the maintenance guy out. He said something about it being chlorine, I figured out quickly that he was not the "pool guy" and called for back-up. My sista used to be a pool chick in a former life and so I called for her opinion. Granted she is 800 miles away or something but I consider myself a decent describer of things and I think she got the idea. She suggested that clouds in pools are never good and that we needed to steer clear. I heeded her advice, broke my children's spirit and we headed back upstairs. Bummer in the summer dude.

The good news is that the pool guy comes tomorrow and hopefully tomorrow night after we go on our home inspection it'll be ready for us and not have a sign on it that says "CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!" That would be bad.

So for now we putz until 5:30, go to the reception, come back and putz until 8:30 then head to the airport to get Grandpa. After that our night is done and tomorrow will be a new adventure.

2 in one day!

I suppose this is a temporary thing but we'll go with it.

Fred and the boys did go to the new Indiana Jones movie this afternoon. First we checked out the storage locker... oohh, aahh and the like. Then we went up by the new house and then we parted ways. I was on a trek to find my way around a bit and with the help of Jack I made it back to the hotel. My first stop was to a scrapbook store in McKinney. After that I went by a doggy daycare option that included the use of a pool. (My dog so does not need this amenity.) After that I went back past my new house and happened to find that the Catholic church/Cathedral is a little less than 5 miles from my hood. All good.

On our way back to the hotel Pete and I stopped in a PetsMart just 3 miles from the new house and found that they too offer dog day camp. We picked up a water bowl that will be left in the car for hot days, like today, and a Greenie bone. Yum! They also have an engraving machine there so we will head back to up-date his tag some time real soon!

Finally we headed south and I ran through Steak N Shake for a burger and went past McDonald's for a newspaper and we are now settled at the hotel waiting on the guys. I am happy to report that I have found out the there is an adult Summer Reading Program at the Frisco Library and an on-line book club that looks intriguing. No babysitter required:)

OK, I am now ready to start looking up those oh so important numbers so that I can get busy on the phone tomorrow. I think the boys and I may go the Frisco and get Toll Tags and Library cards first then head back to take Fred to the Airport. When we get back I can make calls while the boys and I kill time before it is time to pick-up Grandpa at the airport. Will the fun ever end? Stay tuned!

Touchdown!

We made it! The Eagle has landed! We're HERE!

Can you tell how excited I am? We have settled into our home away from home and were able to sleep in a little late today. Pete needed some attention around 8:30 but that was easy enough to handle. Last night I tackled 4 loads of laundry in the FREE laundry facilities here at Staybridge Suites! We ordered Papa John's pizza for dinner and had it DELIVERED! Fred went up to our short term storage unit to drop some stuff that we had brought with us in our cars. We hooked up our home PC here so I don't go through withdrawal before Thursday. Life is good!

Not sure what today holds. I have recovered from my angst over driving and am looking forward to getting out and about a bit today. I want to try out my Garmin and see if "Jack" can help me get from point A to point B easily. He worked on the way down from IA but I am anxious to try him in the much more dense "Big City."

I am encouraging Fred to take the boys off my hands for a bit today, since I will be primary care-giver for the week, and even offered up daddy friendly suggestions of things to do. We'll see how that all goes down. I am keeping my fingers crossed. If I can separate from the group Jack, Pete and I can explore and I can work on my "Move Notification List." It is a rather lengthy list of people who need to be notified of our new address. I did not want to contact them too soon because I didn't want my mail showing up at the new house before I even own it. I think that if I fill in all of the phone numbers today I can make a serious dent in the call list tomorrow. Here's to hoping!

On the road again...

Sorry no update yesterday. We put in a full day of driving and I had a bit of travelers tummy so I crashed right after my plain spaghetti dinner. We ended up in a Best Western in Edmond, OK. They accept pets up to 20 pounds. Pete was 37 at the vet last week but I figured 2 things... 1. They don't have a scale and 2. Pete hasn't eaten in three days so he may be closer to 30 pounds than 50. We snuck him in the back door and haven't gotten kicked out yet so I hope we're good.

We have a short drive today, just 3 hours I think. We will get to the hotel before dinner and have time to run some of our overflow up to our storage unit today. Tomorrow we may not leave the hotel. Just the thought of not driving is appealing to me. That is crazy coming from me. I LOVE to drive! I guess the twitching leg as soon as we stopped last night was my sign.

The boys and Fred went down for breakfast so I am going to take a nice long shower. Here's hoping for a great short day!

And we breathe...

We have stopped moving long enough to likely get hit by more storms tonight. We are in Osceola, IA. A little further than we planned because we left at a reasonable hour. All of our goods made it on the truck and we only had about 30 minutes of cleaning and vacating to do. We stopped at Casey's for a quick top off of fuel, a tall fountain coke and a tire check and headed on our way. We have found a pet friendly hotel with a Pizza Hut nearby and we are all good.

I am beat and am looking to be awakened again tonight. The good news is that we are on the ground floor so our safe spot is in our luxurious bathroom. Can you ask for better than that? I think not!

Oh what a night!!!

So my final night in State Center was spent on the floor in our basement. Fred stayed up longer than me. What's new? And woke me a little before 2 AM to tell me that tornadoes had been sighted not far from us and did we want to go downstairs. Hell yeah! I grabbed shoes and important bags and took one trip down. then Fred and I roused the boys and threw their mattresses downstairs. We all settled in and then Fred checked the radar on his laptop one more time. the storm had passed. AMEN!

We decided that we would just finish our night on the basement floor so we cuddled and slept as best we could. About 5 minutes later the hall light went out and it was REALLY dark in the back, unfinished room in the basement. Great for sleeping.

Fred had luckily set an alarm on his cell phone so we were able to get up and moving before the movers got here this AM. They have now removed every chair and couch and I am sitting on the edge of my bed that may go soon. We have no TV's, the modem from Partnercom gets picked up at 10AM and it is going to be a LONG day.

Please say a prayer for us that we travel safely and get a good nights sleep tonight. Fred did say that if we drove 2 hours tonight that we could sleep in tomorrow. I think he read my mind or maybe my blog?

Off to look busy...

Today's sounds of progress

That would be the silent scream and the HUGE sign that I let loose tonight. So today did not go quite as well as yesterday. The sewing machine was dropped from about 10 feet high, the thud thud thud of a tote sliding down the stairs was heard mid-afternoon. The hushed Spanish whispers were spreading throughout the house. Who knows what was being said. As Fred walked the house tonight and he found 3-5 more boxes of miscellaneous stuff... we are less than impressed. There are 25 empty hangers in my otherwise empty closet. Did they think we were leaving those for the new owners, kind of like the attached ones in hotels? They took my broiler pan but failed to pack my two Pampered Chef baking stones. 90% of the kitchen cabinets were empty but why not 100%? These are the questions that race in my head as I prepare to sleep for the last night in State Center.

Let's just add insult to injury of the day that I believe that the movers pack Bob the Monkey, Nic's nightly friend since the precious age of 6 months, when we bought him on clearance at the This End Up store in Knoxville. The only solace to Nic is that if Bob cannot be found in the house he MUST be in a box. It will be a scavenger hunt at the other end, that may prove helpful in getting his room unpacked, to find Bob and hear about his great adventures inside a box for 7 days.

Will has suffered no such loss but has been dealing with belly pain and anxiety most of the evening. I literally sat on the floor in the 1/2 bath for more than 30 minutes coaching him through an excruciating expulsion. It was exhausting for us both. The good news is that it was fruitful, not fruity scented of course, and he will sleep better tonight.

Fred is on a quest to organize what little is left, bless his heart, he can not control it. He just NEEDS order. Don't we wish everyone did. The scary thing is that as he makes order appear from chaos he is whistling.

Let's wrap this up on a VERY happy note! I BIG thank you goes out to Vicki and Andrea, my co-workers and more importantly FRIENDS who helped me with the boys yesterday and today. The thought of the boys sitting here and watching this happen bit by bit is so unappealing. The chaos that is moving is hard to sit back and watch even for me.

OK worker bee is making me feel way lazy. Gotta go help and hopefully get to bed before midnight. I can not take much more of this. We are so getting a late check-out for Friday morning! He can leave early but I am SLEEPING!

I am going to sleep well tonight!

I am exhausted! It was a long full day but the good news is that nothing and no one got broken.

I was worried for a bit about Nicholas but he seems better now. He was complaining of chest pains while he and I were out running errands in M-town. I called first nurse, think after hours ask a nurse, and she suggested we go to the ER. He was really calm and way too rational when I told him her suggestion. Ever my son he said, "Can we wait till tomorrow and go to the doctor if I still hurt? The doctor would be cheaper than the ER right? " I assured him that he was worth whatever it costs and that I would take him to the ER if he wanted. He said he'd rather wait and so we are. He seems much better 3 hours later and I am going to call the episode an anxiety attack. I will certainly monitor him tonight and tomorrow but I believe that there is no imminent danger.

We enjoyed our final Bailey's pizza tonight and it was yummy. Fred and I have loaded our cars with most of what we are hauling outside of the computer and our clothes of course. As I mentioned the movers did a great job for us today and will finish packing tomorrow. They may start to load us into the truck but do not think that we will leave IA until Thursday. We'll know more tomorrow. There are little things here and there that need to be packed then they have to number and inventory each box. That may take awhile. I think the boys are going over to another friend's house tomorrow so that should help make their day better. Is it hard to entertain yourself without even a ball to toss around. I did find a baseball glove in the clubhouse though. Glad I spotted that!

OK, I am ready to SLEEP! Look for more progress reports tomorrow! G-night!

The sounds of progress...

The sounds of cardboard boxes, ripping tape and birds chirping. Those are the sounds of progress. The three amigos are here packing and the boys went to Vicki's to play. I made my drops throughout town for delivering Stampin' Up stuff, cleaning products and some clothes for the people who live in Parkersburg and were devastated by the tornado just over a week ago. I dropped some vases off at the Remarkable Rose to be used again and I picked up lunch for the crew. I took a van load of goodies to Vicki so that she can pass it along to the Clemons Lutheran School Garage Sale and I also blessed her with the remaining contents of my freezer. That's what she gets for taking the boys off my hands for the afternoon.

They have taken all of the cushions off my couch and all of the stuff in the basement is packed. I think we could be out of here by tomorrow afternoon. That is one full day ahead of schedule, just means an extra night on the road. Not ideal but hey, what are you gonna do? Off to find something to keep me busy. Not a ton for me to do today, just supervising, I am not very good at that. Good thing Fred is here to help.

The day is here!

We are up, have been for a couple of hours, and waiting for the semi to arrive. We had some nasty rain this AM but I think it has cleared out for now.

Fred and I got busy last night working in the garage. We emptied the small engine items of gas etc. We hosed down the lawn tractor, we loaded my can with more stuff to donate and finished up the freezer defrost.

I crashed at 11:45 with a TERRIBLE migraine, not that any migraine is not terrible, I felt as if I might get pukey so I felt it best to sleep. Fred on the other hand did some other stuff around the house, including packing for himself, and some work related stuff and best I can tell he came to bed at 4:30 AM. Not sure how he can be standing upright this morning but he is and for that I am thankful.

OK, off to move around some more boxes and determine what fridge and freezer stuff I am giving to Vicki today. The boys are going over there this afternoon to play and get away from the chaos. I only wish they could take Pete with them. He is going a little crazy because we have the suitcases out and he thinks we are going somewhere exciting today. He may whine for the next 48 hours. Yikes! Better find some earplugs.

Yes, I've been busy

So far I have...
Talked to Josh re. pre-funding. All $ should be there 24hrs. before close.
e-mailed with Morgan re. prefunding. It is all good.
Talked to Jennifer
Packed for myself for 7 days
Packed for Will for 7 days
Packed for Nic for 7 days
Washed the mutt
Found more fluids
Removed a couple of things from the walls upstairs
Called Kay and left a message about home warranty info
Fed myself and the boys lunch
Defrosted steak for dinner
Backed up to CD all photos from 2007 and 2008 from upstairs computer
Showered
Cleaned the shower
Talked to dad re. ring to Hoffmeisters.
Defrosted the outside freezer.
Watched one episode of Oprah
Baked and Angel Food cake to utilize some Cool Whip from defrosted freezer.

Good Morning...

Well we survived the weekend. Fred and I put a major dent on the storage area in the basement. We purged and sorted and repacked some stuff that we wanted kept together. We probably did more than we needed or should have. Fred was wondering aloud if other people did so much prep before they moved. We surmised that they probably did not. We are a little anal around here. In the best way of course.

In addition to putting in some major time in the basement we also managed to get to Ames, IA to enjoy a final meal at Hickory Park. We bought a new ladder at Sam's and bought a new DS game for the LONG trip at the end of the week. Will selected Price Caspian which was on sale for $29.99 and included a $10 Target Gift Card. What a bargain hunter my boy. Nic couldn't settle on a new title but I am sure he will before we leave Iowa.

The boys and I also managed to go to mass for the last time in IA. Fred stayed home to rest after our busy day in Ames. He had been to the Dr. Sat AM to confirm my diagnosis that he has a nasty sinus infection. The Physician's Assistant also gave him a prescription, something that I could not do, and sent him on his way. He is so much better today. Thank the Lord for better living through pharmaceuticals.

So the plan for the day is ambitious. I have to pack three people for 7 days of livin'. I have to wash the dog, wash the boys, do the laundry, pack the rest of the fluids, call the title co., call the mortgage guy, call our TX realtor, defrost the freezer and cook dinner. I had better get busy huh?