Homeless Limbo

To say this has been an EASY move would be a complete and utter lie.  Believe it or not, it has been fraught with mishaps since the get go....and add emotions to that and, well, it has just been hard. It is wearing on me, on us all. On the way to Cody's football game Tuesday night I admitted to Scott that maybe we weren't in the right place, maybe Greenbrier isn't the right place. Although I KNEW that wasn't right....it has still crossed my mind.  Gratefully, Scott responded EXACTLY how I have been feeling and EXACTLY what I needed! "Maybe it's the opposite!" he said. And yes....he was right. I believe that the right-er (I totally know that's not a word) something is, the more the Adversary tries to thwart it....to get us so discouraged that we quit, or do something else...possibly thinking it wasn't the right thing to do or thinking we have messed up in some way and God is punishing us. Both of which are NOT true!  There must be something big for us here....which is what I have felt ALL ALONG.

I shaved my legs today - what a simple pleasure, but was so indicative of how things are right now. I've been washing and wearing two outfits for me, Scott, and Kelsey. Poor Spencer and Cody have just one! We are staying with the McKinneys and that is a huge blessing! Hopefully soon we are settled...

It still feels like a vacation but with a pit in my stomach of not returning to Effingham. Monday night at Cody's football game (a later story) Kelsey told me she was "Effingham sick." When I gave here that questioning look she said, "I can't be home sick because Effingham is not my home anymore." All the kids are handling it pretty well. Although she feels sad and "Effingham sick," she doesn't show it much if at all. The apple must not fall far from the tree. However, this tree has cried my eyes out for days! But not in front of them so much. I think I stayed out til 1 or 2 am every night with my best friend, Cindy, knowing the inevitable was looming nearer and nearer. Friends are so important to me! Of course, though I bawled with Cindy, the tears began on Sunday, I think, as it was my last time at church with my church family - loads of memories and a complete familial familiarity (is that such a thing?). I was a mess, and almost left the meeting instead of leading the floodgates wide open. But I made it through.

Sooooo....Here is the moving story:

I had been packing up EVERY last item of my house so that there was NOTHING left. In fact, Fri morning I packed up my bathroom except my shampoo/shower stuff. Oooops! I had a lunch date with Michael Gadberry and his ALMOST fiance (they got engaged last night)! Oh well....at least I had a little make up and I was clean. I had no clean hair bands (except the smelly sweaty one I'd been wearing all week) to pull my LONG bangs back, and no hair product to help, soooo....glad they like me the all natural way I usually am! I think they are getting married the end of Dec in Portland, Oregon. I thought I would have a lot more time to save, but what the heck. I think Scott may go with me and we will make it an anniversary bonanza for us! Our anniversary is Dec 28 so, if he goes we can make up from all the angst and irritation, intolerance, impatience, and general angriness of the last month!!! It will be something fun to look forward to!

Ok, now sorry...without a semi day by day you just won't get the correct picture! Thurs the Uhaul guy called and said a truck and car tow dolley would be ready in OLNEY! Yeah, OLNEY! That's about an hour away. REALLY? I was livid....we have 3 Uhaul places in Effingham! THREE!!! And they couldn't get it to me? This is after I had already spent almost 45 minutes on the phone Tuesday hashing it all out. Then...to make matters even better, when I called the corporate to complain (yes, I've been a bit irritable lately ;), I asked about the towing transport for our van. He said it would be in SPRINGFIELD, of all places. So, stinken Uhaul wanted me to drive an hour southeast to pick up PART of my reservation just to turn around and drive the hour back then an additional hour and a half. No, Denise was not sharing her kind and gentle side. He then found one in Effingham - thank goodness! I picked it up on Saturday morning!

So Friday morning Scott and I traveled to Olney to get the truck. I had been getting up at 5:45 or 6am to get things done so I COULD go to lunch with friends and do all my good bye saying, you know. We got a lot done on Friday so that when folks came on Saturday to help it wouldn't take as long. Wellllll....

Saturday was a beast! There were 9 guys packing the truck and 4 women helping me. By 2:00 most everything but the last nitty gritty stuff where in one box will be bathroom and kitchen stuff, some clothes, etc. Scott and I worked until probably 10:30 that night then Cindy came over. The packing process with EVERYONE there was surreal to be sure! I felt like I walked around in a daze. I was soooo happy for ALL the help! These were my best friends, my family! And then I had to say good bye to them. You can imagine the headache I had Sunday morning!!!!

Sunday morning rolls around and after sleeping on the floor I was aching just a tad. Add that to my headache and.....

Well, let's just skip that part. I got up early to get things done while everyone slept! Over zealous Denise is also someone who wants to use EVERY inch of space. We packed the van to the hilt and the car also. After all, they were just being towed. I had a bundle of blankets in my left arm and tried to hoist myself up onto the tow transport to put them in the front seat of the van. I had been up shoving things in all afternoon on Saturday. Well, with only my right hand to help....I fell! Luckily I didn't hit my head, but scraped up my hand and elbow pretty good. Instant blood and broken blood vessels. But that was just the easy part. It is hard to explain, but the wheel well of the transport folds down so you can open the vehicle door. It is what made getting up difficult. Well, when I fell that stupid wheel well smacked, or vice versa, my calf (gastrocnemius) HORRIBLY. I thought I was going to die...literally. It was 6:45 AM so no one was around. I picked myself up out of the middle of the road and made my way to the front of the van to sit down. I was light headed and about to pass out. Instant sweat...all the classic signs of shock or fainting! I sat for awhile then made it another 20-30 feet to lean on the truck. I hurt SO bad. I waited another little while before making my way to the garage steps, where I sat for a good 10-15 minutes because every time I got up to go inside I felt like I was going to pass out. I finally got to the bathroom to clean off the blood and I looked white as a ghost! What a great way to begin a move, huh!? But this is ONLY the BEGINNING....seriously!

I couldn't find the keys to the topper so I could fill it. Well, I wouldn't be filling it now. I woke Scott up to ask where he had put them and told him I had hurt myself so I'd need help. I could get next to nothing done. My usual rush around getting a million things done was gone...it took me 5 minutes to do ANYTHING! or more!!!  So everyone quickly adopted the terrible irritable intolerant attitudes so wonderful for a move! Finally, by 10:30 (2 and a half hours after I had WANTED to leave) we left our house. 

We were on our way. First stop, Flying J for gas and Menards for a lock pin. We had lost the one that went to our bike rack. So Scott had jimmy rigged it together hoping it would last just across town. NOPE!

I wasn't 2 miles from our house when I saw the flashing lights of a cop. WHAT?? I was SO not speeding, which meant Scott, who was behind me, couldn't have been speeding either. WHAT was wrong!!!! Then, as Scott turned in to the Baptist parking lot I saw the problem. His jimmy rigging had failed almost immediately and he had been dragging our bikes for a mile. Needless to say, we won't be riding them for awhile. Three were nearly totaled...at least the tires and wheels. Kelsey and Cody were with me in the big truck so we just went to Flying J to fill up and wait for them. It was a long wait...probably 30-40 minutes. They finally got there and Scott was just ok...at least he wasn't ranting. But the bikes made us BOTH sick! We used to have a million bikes...we've whittled it down to just one a piece! And now they were totaled....mostly. *sigh*

Off to Menards for a lock pin and I begged them to get me a bottle of ibuprofen. By this time my leg was throbbing (I'd been wearing a boot that Scott got when he tore his Achilles) and my head was pounding! Kelsey and Cody went in to find them and I laid down in the truck. Spencer came and gave me the meds and then we couldn't find the kids. This day was just getting better and better. It was at this point that Jordan jokingly says to me...."All these are telling us we shouldn't move from Effingham! Who knows, I bet we blow a tire in the next hour!" I chuckled...at least he wasn't mad! The kids finally made it back and we were off...finally getting out of the city by 12:45! And we were off...for reals!

Until I am heading down 57 and don't see Scott ANYWHERE! I hoped he hadn't taken 70 to St Louis. So I called and found out that the trailer (auto transport with the van on it) was weaving huge .... he couldn't go past 50 mph without it fishtailing to the point of crashing. Sooooo, we stopped in Edgewood (like 10-15 miles down the road - not even out of the COUNTY!!) and took it off. We entertained leaving it and coming back and getting it later....or trading it to the truck....but in the end just pulled it off and backed it on since it was loaded too heavily in the back.While we were unloading the front seat enough to get in to drive it...ALL the legos (well, just two totes worth) fell out all over the parking lot. Spencer and Jordan got to pick them all up!

Ok...now it was 2:30 and we were REALLY on our way. For awhile we kept it slow to make sure all was well, which it was....then we got up to 65-70 mph and it was pretty smooth sailing. 

Lots of gas stops and bathroom breaks and food intake and by 11pm we pulled into the place we would be staying the night at - same friends Jordan stayed with. That bed was going to feel GREAT! And it did....minus crying myself to sleep. I was no longer strong enough to distract myself from my heart!

I woke up early enough to get Jordan up and to his team building camp. His football coach takes them to a unifying camp...no football, just playing. I texted him on Monday night asking if he was having fun. I had neglected to tell him that there would be fishing and swimming...two things he isn't so fond of....hoping he would make the most of it. Well, his return text was optimistic "LOTS!" I was ... am ... happy! He came back yesterday to quite a jolt since we are STILL NOT in our own place. His exhaustion from two days of late nights brought out a bit of anger...he wanted to just go kick the previous tenants out right then and there.  But all in all, he is in good spirits. After all, he is the ONLY one with more than two pair of underwear!

You see, Monday morning I texted the landlord saying we were here and when could we meet to get the keys. When I got no response I finally decided to just go drop the Uhaul off with the van, etc. Of course, this was after unloading the bikes then realizing they needed to stay attached so we loaded them again. Off we went to our new home....only to get a call from the landlord just a mile or two from the house saying the previous renters WERE NOT out yet. She was furious and we were befuddled...what now? We Demers don't do things easy!!! So we turned around and headed back. We decided to unload the van off the trailer so we could use the suburban, which could only seat 3 with it packed so full. Oh what an experience THAT was. First we couldn't get the trailer unhooked from the suburban. We couldn't get it...dangit! So we just decided to drive the van off first. Well, the bikes were in the way. Soooo, we unloaded the bikes AGAIN!!!! And tried again. Well, while driving the whole trailer came unhooked from the suburban. That's ONE way of accomplishing a task. After 45 minutes it was DONE....goodness gracious!

Off we went to Conway to get the rental situation taken care of. Really? Where would we live? We can stay with this family (the McKinney's) but what about the Uhaul? We only have it SOOOO long! The landlord said she had threatened the tenants to be out by midnight or everything would be in her ownership and she would change the locks, etc. CRAZY!!! So we had originally planned to unpack Tuesday into the garage, but have since decided that we only want to do it ONCE. Sooooo, once the tenants are out they have to clean the carpets and the whole house...THEN we will unload the truck, some into the garage and some into the house.

Right now we are homeless! But yesterday afternoon we went to our dream house. I wanted Scott and the kids to see inside too. We love it...the kids do, and I think Scott likes it too. Only downfall is the amount of land. Not a HUGE problem, but it is the owner's father's land and he only has 2/3 acre. Not a big deal, but his dad really didn't care how much more of it his son used...so all the COOL stuff is just outside the boundaries! They are just as motivated as we are to sell, so maybe we can get a little more land with the deal! We will see. In the meantime we are hanging out trying to find SOMEWHERE to live. The dream house MAY be a possibility. At first the wife wasn't willing to rent it to us while our sold, but her husband has a job possibility and our realtor told us that if he gets that job she might be willing to rent. He was at the showing and told us ALL about ALL he's done to the home. He and Scott talked and talked and talked. He's a pastor and is pretty long winded. He's a nice guy though, don't get me wrong. Soooo, we will see. Homeless limbo is quite the ordeal!

After the showing (and hour and a half) we rushed to the store to get something to eat then off to Cody's flag football game. Boy, Arkansas sure is HUMID!!! He had pics first then a game an hour later. The mosquitoes (skeeters in Arkansas lingo) were prolific and we are eaten up. We won't forget bug spray tonight!!! It cooled off and Cody got to play. He even sacked the quarterback once. You see, a LONG time ago when I first learned about this new job I checked out the park district. In Effingham I had continually forgotten to get him signed up on time (yikes) so I KNEW I needed to MAKE SURE I didn't forget this time around. Our first night and we were at the ball fields! He has another game tonight!