2 hours away from chi-town!!! The rain needs to stop now...the bug does not double as an arc.

Holy rain batman!!!

America is a funny place...we just passed "the rib crib" how klassy...

Just passed the exit for branson mo. Where old stars go to die..."all on one stage in 2007...andy williams, glen campbell, and charo" sign me up

In missouri now...there is a sale on moccasins at the ozark country store...i might have to stop & pick some up!

Ok...country is the official music of oklahoma...i scanned through no less than 8 stations before i found classic rock...yee haw!!!

Nothing!!

heres oklahoma!

3:24 am & were on the road. Wow the car is full! We are officially hillbillies with a bag of doritos in the back window. Only 15 hours to go.

Lost w/o Technology...

Tomorrow is my last day at work. I have mixed feelings about all of this. Excited & terrified all at the same time.
I found out this week that I will be working at the store farthest away from my new home. I have a big feeling I will be embracing public transportation much more than anticipated since gas in Chicago is now at $3.75-$3.80 per gallon....yikes!
We have been staying at Glenn's new apartment but have had no internet service until today. What did we do before the internet??? Pick up the phone and call someone? Write a letter? Use an encylopedia? Call information? Tin can & string? Morse code? Watch the news?
It's kind of ridiculous because when I finally checked my email tonight, all but maybe 2 messages were not SPAM. On average, I get about 30 SPAM emails a day & they're now starting to overflow out of my bulk folder into my inbox. That's what I get for having the same email address for the last 10-12 years.
Okay, backtrack, backtrack...sorry...last day of work, take Tylenol PM, got to bed between 7-8pm, get up at 2:00am on the road at 3:00am. Cooler full of snacks & Red Bull...everything you need for a long ass road trip.
I'll be updating the blog via text messages & cell phone pics. See, what did we do before the internet???

Dimensional space antics...

So my Relocubes were delivered today. Luckily, someone big was watching over me and I was able to convince the construction workers to move their cars. This allowed the ABF driver to drop off two cubes right at my back door.

I was a little surprised to see that they seemed to be smaller than I expected.

While I am no engineer, Glenn comes from a brainiac family of them and was a Mathlete. Between that & the fact that I am a store designer & deal with dimensional math pretty regularly, we made it work.

Let me tell you...we have 2 cubes that measure 6'x7'x8'. I figured that two of them would be the equivalent of a 15' U-Haul which is the last thing I used to move. I think I've outgrown the 15' U-Haul....

It took us 3 hours to pack the 1st cube, simply because we had to study every angle & open space to make sure we were using it to the fullest and packing in every square inch. Mission accomplished as you can see by the photo.

We had a few spare minutes of daylight but after pure exhaustion, made the executive decision to quit after filling Relocube #1 and order our pizza & crack a beer...

In the words of Homer Simpson...."mmmmm beeeeeeeeeerrrr".

Solo cups & paper plates

It's official...we now have to use disposable drinkware & dinnerware.

If I'm not mistaken, I believe I have actually finished packing. I have one random box o' crap that I've left open just in case. Just to give you an idea how random we're talking, here is a list of contents:

1 small vintage fan

1 jar of change

1 stack of magazines

1 current novel

1 evening dress & fur wrap (really)

1 napkin (I might have 2 once the dryer stops)

I also have discovered tonight that I am completely exhausted. It should make for lots of fun tomorrow night when we start loading the trailers. Actually they are called Relocubes. They're like PODS but cost less cheddar & take less time to get there. I made the decision back before my head was spinning 24/7 that I could load them myself on this end & I'll have a mover unload them in Chicago. Now that the loading of the Relocubes is under 24 hours away I'm realizing that it might suck.

I'm just trying to look at it like I'm at work & I'm unloading a small truck.

I'm just not getting paid the big bucks.

BFF's

Last night was my Crate&Barrel going away happy hour. We met at Metro Grill around 5:00 & the majority stayed until about 10:00. I guess at that point it's really just "going out" vs. a "happy hour"...happy hour usually ends at 7:00.

I want to thank everyone who came to see me....especially those who came by even for 20 minutes or so simply to make an appearance and say good-bye.

When these types of events happen, it's kind of funny to see who does & doesn't show up. I can say there were a few people I was surprised I didn't see, but more pleasantly were those who I wasn't expecting.

Thank you to everyone for your gifts, cards, flowers, hugs & sentiment. It is greatly appreciated.

I'll post the pics on Club Photo soon & have the link listed here.

This also goes out to those who have stuck by me with this decision so far and been extremely visible with support. I've been blessed with several friends who have really stepped up to the plate and called me several times a week to check on my progress over the last 3-4 months. All calls have been much appreciated & very gracious. You know who you are & I'll just say thanks & I love you !!!

As of this morning, I have switched the countdown from weeks to days....only 11 more days in Texas...I'd better eat another chicken fried steak....and fast.

Keep your hands and feet inside the car at all times

I find that during all of this craziness my emotions are on a huge roller coaster. Something kind of like Flashback at Six Flags Over Texas. I have to say that after working there for a year and having seasons passes for 3 years, Flashback is my favorite roller coaster. I think it has something to do with that insane feeling of having absolutely no control. It goes forwards, upside down and backwards as well. Kind of like life.

Today Brian (my best friend since 1983) & I decided that while our lives were somewhat paralleling each others (lots of life change & drama), we have the ability to understand each others problems even if they are different from our own. One day he talks, bitches, vents and I listen and the next day it's my turn. Today he was talking about his issues and I said, "you know if I wasn't dealing with all of my own drama, I might tell you to go home, meditate, go run, workout, you know....relax!...but instead I understand exactly how you feel so go home & have a cocktail...it's okay".

I know that I can be the queen of unsolicited advice & I identify that in myself, so going through this stuff right now it's kind of interesting to be on the flip side and having everyone tell you things like, "you just need a night off" or "just go home and relax!". Sorry folks, moving across the country alone, changing jobs, leaving all of your friends & family...not too relaxing. I'll relax when I get to Chi-town.

Not bitter I promise, just edgey.

I took my frustrations out on an idiot cab driver who called the store today because one of our regional team needed a cab. I happened to answer the phone and in a nutshell his comment was, "by the time I get over there she will have already hailed a cab so I don't need to come that far". Hailed a cab??? In Dallas??? On Inwood Road??? It took me three time to decifer what he was saying before I had to say, "look, cabs don't come here...cabs don't just come anywhere in Dallas....if we called you, we need you...you need to come now!".

When was the last time anyone in Dallas "hailed" a cab from the dusty part of Inwood Road??? If I'm mistaken you Dallasites, please correct me.

Anyway, sorry to babble on...

....bottom line is, life is a roller coaster & right now I'm in the loop.

The Iron Claw LIVES

Okay as I'm trying to finance my move across the country, I have been liquidating my life so to speak. I've sold lots of things on Ebay, become less attached to items I've collected, and learned the greatness that is Craigslist.org to sell the larger items.
One thing I decided to sell was this innocent little hardcover coffee table book about the Von Erich family. For those of you native to Texas, you might remember the Von Erichs as one of the most amazing families known to wrestling.
Yes, Me & my best friend Francesca spent many a Saturday night in my junior high years watching the greatness known as rasslin' which took place not too far from our home at the Sportatorium in Dallas, TX. I believe it was the WWF which was the World Wrestling Federation. We simply watched it because it was on late and okay to stay up for on slumber party weekends, AND we really believed that the Von Erichs (Kevin was our favorite because he was the cutest) were really kicking the crap out of their evil nemesis' Nature Boy Ric Flair...and the Fabulous Freebirds....and Skandar Akbar...I could go on & on & on...
Anyway, I stumbled upon this book at a store in Dallas about a year ago. It's a family album type coffee table book which tells the history of the Von Erich family & has an amazing amount of photos to boot. I thought one of my good friends might get a kick out if it as a white elephant gift, but it never made it out of the closet...
Fast forward to now. I'm selling the hell out of everything and I come across this book. I'm thinking, "okay I paid $20 for it which is way more than I should have, I'm sure there is some crazy fan who would appreciate it more than I do".
Last Sunday I listed it on Ebay with a $9.99 starting bid....here is the link to the closing bid.....cha ching...it just goes to show that one mans trash is definitely another man's treasure.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:L:EOISSAA:US:11&item=280112454339

IKEA=I KNOW EVERYONE has a big ASS

So we went to IKEA today to poke around & see if there was anything that either of us needed before our moves.
This is the first time I've ever been to IKEA that it just wasn't packed wall-to-wall with people.
However, let me just say that I have the same comment to make everytime I go there and today was no different.
I don't know if it's the location it's in or just normal IKEA clientele BUTT (yes I know this is the incorrect spelling)...every time I go I notice that every oversized, loud American is shopping there with at least 3-4 screaming children.
I thought maybe it was just me, but I have since taken a poll of other IKEA shoppers I know and it's unanimous...you can expect to find a specific target market when shopping at the IKEA in Frisco, TX.
Aside from my observation, we did pick up a few knick knacks. We also discovered the self checkout which had some fabulous computer graphics of a woman shopping who apparently did an amazing upper back workout.
Funny thing...if you want a bag for your stuff it costs you .05. We opted to save our .05 per bag since we spent $1.90 on tolls to get there. What couldn't go in the back of the truck went into the glove compartment. How thrifty are we???
P.S. Only at IKEA can you get a plate of Swedish Meatballs for $1.99...my Swedish grandfather would roll over in his grave.

Movin' On Up

Hello to all of my favorite people...

As most of you know, I'm moving from Dallas to Chicago in a matter of weeks.
Since I vary from day to day on the emotional scale, I decided to create a blog so I could occasionally escape the hell that is known as packing and give myself a mental break from time to time.

Let's start with time frames to catch everyone up to speed...
-Tuesday, May 22nd my Relocubes are being dropped off. (like PODS but cheaper & a faster turn around)
-Friday, May 25th Relocubes picked up & I wave bye-bye as my entire life drives away to go across the country
-That night we drive to Longview for Courtney & Camilles high school graduation (Glenn's nieces)
-Come back to Dallas Saturday
-Sunday, May 26th Glenn's stuff is moved into his new apt.
-Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday of that week, we stay at Glenn's as 6402 Del Norte will be empty & ready to be cleaned. (We also work all 3 days)
-Wednesday night May 30th, get a good night's sleep
-Thursday, May 31st wake up at the crack o' dawn & drive 15 hours to Chi-town!!!
-Friday, June 1st move into my new home in Chicago (whew).
-Monday, June 4th, Glenn flies back to Dallas

Okay there's your chronological order for those of you who continue to ask me, "now when are you moving?".

This has been an interesting experience so far, yet one that has definately tested my organizational skills. I've never made so many lists and spreadsheets in my life...and if I might add, I've gotten quite crafty with my self-taught Excel skills!...speaky of crafty, did I tell you all that on my last trip to Chicago I ran across a store called the Crafty Beaver? Nice..."Daddy I want to go to the Crafty Beaver"...hmmm...

In theory, I really only have 2 weeks before my "stuff" will be gone and I will be living out of a suitcase for a week...good thing I'm not afraid to wear a pair of jeans twice :)