Lest anyone think that this sprint across most of North America is a vacation… let me sum up a little.
We were supposed to get going last Friday morning, with a week to reach St. Charles, IL before the Indigo Girls concert on June 26th. With 7 full days to do the drive, it would have been comfortable, leaving us a couple of days to stop in various places. This plan gave us a few days after the concert to relax, see Swedish Days, visit with family and friends, before driving up to Door County for more camping, then through Michigan to Toronto, our new home.
Friday afternoon, we found out that the movers were going to be in Toronto, with our stuff, on the 27th of June, a nearly impossible date to hit, even forgetting about the concert, and scrapping all our other plans. We convinced them to let that move until the morning of the 29th. But, we didn’t leave Calgary until 7pm on Friday, only making it as far as Vulcan that first night.
The next day was a gorgeous drive through much of Montana; the easiest border crossing ever, getting lost in Great Falls looking for a dog park, Helena and Butte, finally ending up at the KOA in Bozeman around 8pm for a late dinner of crappy hotdogs and yummy Fat Tire beer.
We got going early on Sunday morning, heading east on I-90 to the Black Hills of South Dakota, stopping at the Little Bighorn Battlefield en route. We camped near Deadwood that night, too late to do much but hike a little in the hills behind the campsite. Cooper and Jackson loved splashing through the creek until Cooper bounded back with what looked like a bobcat’s back leg. Severed, but still furry. Of course, that was pretty gross, but it was also getting dark and we were more than a little worried about what can tear apart a fully grown bobcat. Soooo… back to camp as fast as we could. Dinner this time, steak and potatoes, accompanied by a lovely bottle of a super-tuscan and live guitar music from one of the bikers at camp.
Monday morning, we drove into Deadwood and were able to walk around a little because of the lovely cool shadey parking garage. I treated myself to a biker tank top, celebrating the upcoming 2009 Sturgis rally. And it’s cute, too. We continued on, visited Mount Rushmore, drove through the Badlands, and spent far too much time trying to buy dog food. We camped at the best campground EVAH that night. They had a huge fenced-in dog park on the grounds, and the folks were lovely. (The KOA south of the Badlands park, if you’re in the area.)
Tuesday was a big driving day. I-90 east via Sioux Falls. Shortly after, Cooper got sick and we had to stop every half hour or so. And then the air conditioner broke. And then the car started making burning smells and loud motor noises, audible even over the incredibly loud wind coming in through the open windows while driving 75mph.
We stopped at the entirely disgusting Super 8 in Albert Lea MN for the night. The Jeep’s in Ken’s trusty hands right now. He found a used compressor, and can fix the noise and the burning but not the AC today. We’re six hours from my parents’ house and it looks like rain. Oh, and I can’t get ahold of Sandra. (I’m in a McDonald’s right now, using WiFi and decompressing a little.)
So, the trip hasn’t turned out at all like we’d expected. It has not been relaxing in the slightest. There has been fun, but it’s also felt a whole lot like sprinting cross-country.
With any luck, we’ll make it to St. Charles tonight, spend tomorrow mailing off the Year of Lace kits as planned, and then drive to Toronto on Saturday to meet the movers Sunday morning. And then I still have two weeks off. I’m thinking Provincetown. East coast suggestions for camping with dogs? I want a beach they can play on and a campground where we can stay put for a week.
Posted in going places |
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I haven’t blogged since May. Almost three weeks. In the meantime, I’ve been doing top secret deadline knitting. I’ve been launching a big new project at work. I’ve been moving my stuff down into the first floor of the house I’ve been living, to assume the one bedroom standalone apartment for me and Sandra and the dogs and Cleo, at least for the next little while.
Without a doubt, moving sucks.
This particular move is being done in four distinct stages. Maybe it makes it easier. Maybe it only serves to draw out what’s destined to be a horrible soul-sucking process. I don’t know.
Move #1:
Back in late november, I flew to Toronto with two suitcases and a backpack. Over the next six months, I spent every trip back and forth, schlepping a little more of our stuff across the country. By now, about 90% of what we actually need is already here.
Move #2:
I was supposed to be able to move into the apartment on May 30. It ended up getting pushed until the first week of June, several days of which I was actually without a place to live at all, as the new dude had already moved into my old room.
It’s taken me awhile, but I’ve got the living room set up in a fairly adorable fashion, and there should be room for some of our furniture when it gets here.
Move #3:
Officially, this starts on Wednesday when Buhler’s Moving comes to load up the truck with the rest of our Calgary stuff. Unofficially, it started back in April when we started packing, cleaning, and organizing. I’m flying to Calgary Thursday night and we really need to start driving on Friday morning in order to make the few hard timepoints we have for our little road trip / moving / camping vacation that’ll take much of the next three weeks. We’ll see.
Move #4:
We won’t be able to stay in a 600 square foot one bedroom apartment with two big labs forever. So, Move #4? Hopefully sometime in the next six months, after our Calgary house sells, and after we’re able to buy a more permanent residence in Toronto.
I’m a little exhausted just thinking about it, but am very excited for this next step in a really long journey.
Next time I write, it’ll be from the road!
Posted in going places, looking in |
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I’m sitting here, several hours after I was supposed to have moved into the main floor one bedroom apartment, stewing a little and trying to relax on my IKEA mattress, sitting directly on the floor, bequilted and otherwise unadorned.
See, today’s move didn’t exactly work out the way I’d planned. I spent much of the day yesterday packing my things into reusable grocery bags and suitcases and a few boxes. And hauling much of it to the hallway, the bathroom, and the living room on the main floor of this apartment, the second floor of the house.
Today, I was supposed to move into the first floor apartment, where Sandra and I are going to live for the foreseeable future.
I had it all planned.
I was ready.
I should have known better.
It started out kind of funny. The people currently living there were taking their sweet time moving out. The girlfriend was walking for coffees, was checking her email. The boyfriend was loading the car as quickly as he could, but it was still a car, and he was still the only one doing any work.
Around noon today, my roommate/landlord mentioned that the new renter was bringing his stuff by this afternoon. And yes, this is the guy who will be taking over my old room.
And this is how I’m currently sitting on my mattress, on the floor, in my old/current/present attic room, looking at piles of Adam’s stuff, and wondering if I’ll be able to move into my old place tomorrow after work.
What I’m working on in life is this; letting go of things I have no control of.
Today is the perfect example.
I had all my things together. Was ready. Had a plan. But in the end, life doesn’t really pay attention to plans, or things, or readiness. It just throws things out there. And waits to see how you respond.
Me, I went through the full spectrum today. Fear. Anxiety. Anger. Annoyance. Acceptance.
In the end, I did my laundry and went to the Gladstone for a few beers and some fries. That was me, waving the white flag.
No, it’s not really fair. I paid for that place. And tomorrow, Adam’s going to want to sleep here. So I’ll either end up on the floor in the living room or in my new place, and shoot me if I’m not in my new place. But for tonight, I can’t do anything about any of it.
So, I’m going to finish my beer, read a few pages, and go to sleep, knowing that I’ll have another long night ahead of me tomorrow.
Posted in looking in, ranting |
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