August marks the beginning of my transition to living in a new locale. Following are highlights from the road with my daughter, Kate:
- Kate’s very last ortho appt, one last photo of Kate doing the penguin pose in her room, and one last stop at Sahr’s for a big bear hug from Ron and we were on the road.
- Buddha (cat) went on a hunger strike all day and cried incessantly at our first stop in Montana, so after having dinner with my college roommate, we moved on to Bozeman staying with another college buddy. He had to remind us to take the cat with us in the morning – almost forgot.
- Bozeman to Las Vegas in good time until a little east vs. west discrepancy had us driving around Vegas for over an hour showing Kate all the illegal driving maneuvers known to man she is NEVER to repeat.
- Plush guest house accommodations in Vegas eases Buddha’s nerves and he makes a new friend, Stripes.
- Vegas to Phoenix IKEA, about 125 degrees in the car, so Buddha had his first IKEA experience in a cart with Kate’s stuffed animal, Guster. A very traumatized cat, however stilled adored by fans and employees. After inconveniencing my cousin’s wife for over an hour, the stuff didn’t fit in her car anyway and had to be shipped. Oops. Ran into someone I know in IKEA, though, so still a beautiful, small world.
- Had plans to relax and enjoy family birthday celebrations, but the movers were scheduled to arrive between 10-11 am, and Jake was starting his new job, so we were back on the road by 8 am.
- Kate and I sat in an empty hot house watching the air conditioner do its thing dropping from 99 degrees to 80 by almost 3 pm when the movers finally arrived. Insisting on being paid in cash or money order at 3 pm on a Saturday afternoon brought to my awareness how out of practice I am in swearing and being an intimidating bad-ass. Wow, who knew you could lose your talent for effectively throwing f-bombs around? Felt like a sissy, a grateful sissy, but a sissy none-the-less.
- Discovered my body chemistry changes to emitting a garlicy odor when under prolonged excessive stress – must be the Italian wannabe in me.
- World’s greatest events and life coordinator, realtor and friend, Sue Brooks, to the rescue, I now have a new account with my friend, Michael at Wells Fargo, who understood my need for speed having left my daughter alone in the house with 3 foreign men. Returned, paid them off (by the way, the deposit has nothing to do with them – ???whatever) and now have a garage full of furniture I question even wanting. Next move is only what fits in my pockets.
- Waiting for the flooring to go in, we have come full-circle living with the Bellefeuille’s, only this time we are unable to line up our infants and toddlers on the floor and take photos of them. I remember thinking how cute our kids were; it is nothing compared to how beautiful they have become. Life is good.
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