Rain means...

...that it is too warm to snow! It also means it's messy---or rather the small hound gets messy when she runs. Today for lunch I took her on her usual "Field-Trip", and when she hopped back into the car...all winded from her run, she managed to hop in before I could stop her and I wore her muddy paw prints for the rest of the afternoon. Luckily most of my "team" left for Lincoln Nebraska to put new engines into a New King Air we're buying and so no one cared if I looked a bit disheveled.

Some very good news is I found someone to take my place at work. It's different when you really care about the folks you work for (on a personal level), and I've been searching for the right person for the job! I found her and she is training with me tomorrow.

Mike did a 30 mile loop before he started work today. I'm envious. The best days are those when you can get your ride in before work! So I am really looking forward to getting back into the swing and back rolling along on two wheels. I can't remember when I've been so long off the bike.

I disconnected our land-line today. And started calling all the utilities. Of course the new buyers have already called many of the folks and she gave them a different date than the closing date. I'll be glad when this is over with. Sigh. I guess our realtor thought we wouldn't mind moving up the date and even though we signed for the 15th, they "ok'd" an earlier closing verbally---hence the confusion. Sigh again...it's a small thing though in the big picture and so I'm like..."whatever".

Not much else going on here---except a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISH FOR RICK OLSON! As well as a belated "Welcome to the world to Chloe Kulla!" And a little more unsettling weather. But I've been talking about that all year---nothing new.

scored with craigslist...again!

Remember when craigslist was "cnewmark.com"? I do. Then it changed names a bunch more times. But it bounced back to craigslist and then BOOMED into a worldwide thing. I never use ebay to sell or find stuff anymore. As long as you're in a metro area, craigslist is the BOMB! And...bombs away---we scored again!

I have been searching for places on the boston.craigslist website and then when I'd find something that seemed good, I'd forward it to Mike so he could go and check it out. It was kinda hard to do, as they don't always tell you exactly what you're looking for. But this one did. The only thing that wasn't exactly what we wanted was the move in date...which was April 1st. But I liked it enough from a distance, that I just wanted Mike to go see it anyway---so we'd know what we were missing out on by having to rush things.

He loved it. They loved him. Enough to let us move our stuff in early. And we passed the credit check with flying colors. It is right next door to a big woodsy park where hounds can play and roam free---literally right next to the house! It even has a track! Plenty of storage and cute cute cute. And less than a mile away from Seven. So how about that?

We found our Los Altos rental, our car, many bikes and parts bought and sold, and even sold the bus, and even found jobs...all on craigslist. Thank you Mr. Newmark for creating this place in space!

I've been busy getting rid of stuff and trying to box up as much as I can. There's a guy from work who's getting married in May and I gave he and his wife-to-be some stuff on Sunday. I also managed a jog through Camden yesterday. I needed to get outside and do nothing for a couple of hours. My back hurts from hauling boxes. My back NEVER hurts. But it is all worth it.

Mike went on a long ride through some historic MASS landmarks, with Parke Rhoads (a friend of Erik Saunder's) and called me and said, "Oh sweetie...you'll just love the riding here...small rolling roads through lovely wooded terrain. It's kind of like a rolling Woodside." Oh Man---does that sound good to me. And the rolling terrain and woodsy trees block the wind. It isn't that it isn't windy in SF even...but you can shelter your way out of it. He enjoyed the mild temps and I could hear it in his voice that he liked his new "digs".

Thanks to Parke and Ruth for showing Mike a grand welcome to Massachusetts...I'm next. I want sushi and burritos and a long bike ride too!!!

Finding stuff...

A sure sign that I have too much stuff? Opening boxes that I haven't opened since we moved here, for one. It's a bit overwhelming. I am off again to the Goodwill today. And I've been finding stuff that I've been looking for as well. It's the boxes that I packed up last in California that didn't get marked so well, as I was getting "rushed". And it's the stuff I packed last, that I've been searching for. Example? I had a box of shoes (yes, a whole box), that half I inherited from my Grandma...and half were of the mild weather (California) variety. I looked for them all summer...and thought I'd left them in SF. (I even had my brother keeping an eye out!). I found them...in an unmarked box in the basement. I even looked in the box after we'd arrived here...as it was opened. That was why I was sure I'd seen them. But in the rush of getting this place in order, I opened them, put them aside for later, and forgot about them.

Which brings me to the next predicament. Sentimental crap. Why am I lugging around all this junk? Because my "Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, brother(s), fill in the blank" gave it to me. It's ridiculous. It's also a problem when you've been the same size your whole life pretty much, and so you don't out-grow stuff. Like these jeans I wore when I was 18. Or my addida-baseball shoes (with the rubber cleats) that I wore in the fifth grade. They still fit me. But I never will wear them again. So what's the point? Luckily I'm annoyed enough that today these two items and a bunch of others are making their way to the Goodwill.

It's good to pack by myself though. Mike would give it all away. He doesn't get too sentimental about stuff. And there is some stuff worth keeping even if I don't have "good use" for it. Like letters from my Grandma. I used to write her every week. And she would write me back. I can recognize her writing in the boxes, and I spent the afternoon yesterday reading her letters and wearing her shoes and clothes (we were both small-ish in size). I was very close to her---and I cried...but a good cry, as I read about how much we talked about about.

In one of the letters, she was telling me about how they'd just moved into this "grand place"...on the top floor. My Grandpa didn't like anyone's footsteps walking above him. But my Grandma didn't like going up the stairs and she wanted a unit (they were huge ---like 3000 square feet) on the ground floor. Grandpa said, No!". So while he was on a business trip in New York, she moved without telling him! It was great remembering that! And that feeling is worth lugging around. So in a box they [letters] went...for the next time I unpack them.

Sydney and I both are very ready for Mike to come and get us. Even though we talk on the phone 3-10 times a day, it's just not the same. anyway---just taking a little time out for slacking, I really need to get packing some more. It's already Sunday....

Just me and the Scrapper!

For a night or two, it's kinda nice to stretch out and snuggle up in bed with just the two girl scrapper's....but now we're on the 4th night/5th day, and I miss my husband. This will be the longest separation in 6 whole years that we've had. Hmmmphh! Luckily I have way too much to do and so I don't have a bunch of time to dwell on it.

A couple of days ago I took Sydney to the vet and she got all her shots and heartworm stuff/flea stuff. All of the "it's easier to do here in Marshall" things have been a priority these days. And let me tell you how nice it is to be able to get this stuff done on my lunch hour. Not possible in California (where you basically take half the day to do one task!), and I imagine Boston will be more like that. So if I can do it here...I am.

The people who are moving into our house are trying to get all set-up with their utilities and such. At first I was being as helpful as possible. But now all of my utilities and phone company and other folks keep calling me and saying someone is trying to set-up their service to my house and should they cancel me. I don't know. I feel like if I am paying until the 15th, I would like my service in my name. It's kinda annoying. I mean I can't meet the phone guy or the cable guy here. We had to set this up ourselves when we moved in. I don't know what to do about it. If I get more calls though I will call my realtor. It's my house until we close. I'm sure the new folks are just excited to get moved in---but in my opinion, they are beginning to overstep boundaries. It even feels kinda rude. But I am letting it go...

I talk about the things I miss all the time----from California, to my Family back home (MOM! DAD!!), to my friends, to riding my bike everyday---I realize now, that there are worse things though. I MISS MY HUSBAND! And, I was told not to worry about this, but anyone who feels like sending in a little prayer and some good energy for my Mom, it would be welcome. She had a funny blood-test count and has to have more tests. Concern but not worry. Yeah right! You see, I have plenty to keep my mind occupied these days...and trust me, it isn't the weather! Sigh...

I am glad it is Thursday---Love, Joni