The hardest part of moving

It's not purging the gunk out of the house, although that's hard enough. It's not even saying good bye to friends - with Facebook and email, it doesn't really feel like good bye. It's not even planning what I can live without while the packing is going on. That's kind of like packing for a vacation. Or so I'm telling myself!

No, the hardest part is arranging for daily life changes. Things like transferring prescriptions (the nearest branch of the chain pharmacy I use is 30 minutes away), finding doctors, figuring out where I can get the oil changed on my car (again, the nearest dealer for my car is 30 minutes away), and the library! That will be my biggest change, I think.

I am a library devotee. I order so many books at my library down here that the librarians know me by name. I order so many books, I get a bin with my name on it when they start to build up. The librarians even call me when they haven't seen me in a while. I used the library for studying for exams and writing papers for law school. I used the library computers when my computer was on the fritz, while I was waiting for it to be fixed. I used the library printers when mine fritzed, while I was waiting for the new one to arrive. That's a lot of library usage.

The local library in the town I will be living in doesn't carry most of the books I had on reserve at the library I'm leaving, so I will have to order them through their system. Ok, no problem. But, to renew them, I will have to either call or email the library. I have been so spoiled. My library down here has a system where I can search their library online, order a book I want, and have it waiting for me whenever I'm ready to pick it up. I can also order books from around the state, not just from my local library system. The new library's changes are not bad, it will just be different, and I will have to remember the differences. I am moving to a smaller town, after all. The comfort of a smaller town comes with some adjustments. I will not be one of those people who moves to a small town and then complains about the inconveniences! I'll still have my Internet access, which opens up the world. I'll have my Overdrive subscriptions, so I can read books on my Kindle. I can order books from around Maine and pick them up at the library in town. I will still have access to the books I want to read, it might just take a few days to get them. Again, just different.

The Boy and His Wife come up next weekend to help pack, and to say good bye to the house. We're like that. Houses have personalities to us, I guess, and this one holds a lot of memories for us. Then the official packing by movers begins October 2! It's coming up fast! They will pack me over two days, then load, drive and unload on the 4th. I have my Internet installation scheduled for the 5th. It's rather tightly scheduled, so I really hope all goes smoothly.

Wish me luck!

A little rant, and a little news

First, the Rant: I am so sick of stupid ads on TV. The ones that treat viewers as if we're all stupid and automatically fall for the lowest, basest stereotypes. The ones that repeat every 5 minutes, because viewers are too dull to have gotten it the first time around. The ones that are so artsy and esoteric that I can't even figure out what they're selling. The ones that tell consumers that they're not worth crap unless they have the latest, greatest "new and improved" version of whatever they bought last year. {Don't get me on my soapbox about "new and improved."} I'm not going to mention crummy grammar or the Stupid Dad stereotype - although I could. Easily. I guess I will just have to stick with my Tivo or my DVDs, so I don't have to be subjected to the idiocy that is most marketing.

On the News side - I'm moving away from Cape Cod! After 25 years! I have a job offer in a small town in Maine called Waldoboro, and I'll be moving right around Columbus Day weekend. I have signed a lease with a nice couple who will rent my house on the Cape, and who I believe will take good care of it, which puts my mind at ease. I'm excited about moving forward with my life and my career, although leaving here will be hard. I always said I'd have to be taken out of here with a shovel, because I would be dead before I left. Guess I tempted the gods with that one. Of course, that was said when my life was wonderfully sewn up - my husband was still alive, I still liked teaching, my family was still close by. Now the family has moved on themselves, as they should. Teaching lost its appeal, and law gained appeal, and my husband has been gone more than 5 years now. Time to move on. I'm excited for the new career, the new house, and the small, quiet town I'll be moving to, although I'm sure I will have a good cry when I actually leave.

Meantime, I'm purging the garbage out of my house - even though I did that already after my husband passed, or so I thought. Amazing how much junk we accumulate, isn't it? I'm getting quotes from moving companies, looking for a church and a knitting group in Maine, and thinking ahead to winter. Finally, I'll get to wear all my knitted stuff! Possibly all at once! Glad I knit socks... and mittens, and hats, and sweaters...

Maine, here I come!