What a Pain

Literally, What a Pain.

Karen warned me but I did not listen. Moving is hard on your body. My back told me so around 11:30 Sunday morning. Add on top of that the suspected cracked (or at least bruised) rib sustained in a soccer game the week before....

The first POD arrived Friday afternoon. We started loading it Saturday morning. At this point we have around 8' of the 16' pod filled to the ceiling. Today we start putting some desks and beds and the more bulky stuff in. The PODS folks are picking up this Pod Tuesday some time and dropping off the second pod. So we have to get whatever is gonna be in storage in this pod this evening...

Tyler has been REALLY helpful over the past several weeks. Specially the past few days. Bob has helped move stuff, Michelle and Kyle less so but Tyler has been there for us whenever we ask. Little to no complaints. He stopped working at Harris Teeter a week early so he could help pack. He has helped me arrange and re-arrange the stuff in the POD to make it as secure and efficient as we can make it.

So a BIG thank you to Tyler.

I know this is tough on everyone. Bob will be without a permanent place to stay in Durham while he works at the bulls. He has made arrangements to stay a few nights here and there with friends or the parents of friends. He is use to popping home for weekends. He does not need us close as much as he use to. He has a house in Greenville but I think he still depends on us being close when he needs us.

Tyler, while he will be back, is leaving his girlfriend for a few weeks. But primarily he will be on his own his freshman year. Bob had us close so we could help him adjust and buy him stuff he needs and fix the little issues that arise on occasions. He came home weekends etc. Tyler will not have that comfort zone. Though Melodies mom insists she will take care of Tyler for us.

Kyle is leaving a girlfriend of several months. His friends and his HS. It is very hard on him and we have tried to be as flexible as we can and understanding as we can about the situation. He is not happy but is, at least on the outside dealing with it about as well to be expected.

I think it is just starting to hit Michelle. Her friends started school this past week. And Saturday some threw a going away pool party for her. Overall She is doing well. Though she has been conveniently absent when it comes times to moving boxes etc. I think part of her is looking forward to a new adventure, though I am not sure she would agree to that.

Karen is leaving her friends of many years. She is leaving 2 of her babies behind in NC. Her friends are here, her Bowling league. She is leaving the comfort of knowing the Pediatrician, Dentists, The pharmacist, The Bank tellers, and the produce guy at the grocery store.... Never mind much of the arrangements for the move has fallen on her shoulders. The house situation. And the strain she sees in everyone else....

I do not like I am putting the family through all of this. I do not like seeing the pain in their eyes. I do not like leaving my kids 1100 miles away. I don't like moving that much further from my family. I don't like the financial uncertainty the move has put us in. So far the gods have not looked down on us. The house not selling is the biggest thing but just so many little gotchas that keep thinks difficult. But I truly feel this can be, in the end, a really good thing. Better schools, better job opportunities, a different environment, different landscape. A fresh beginning in so many ways. This is the hope.

We just have to get through the next week.

I have not communicated with folks much lately. Been busy as you can imagine but Karen and I do think of everyone quite a bit. I am not a religious man so your prayers will fall on deaf ears but be thinking about us over the next couple of weeks.