Wednesday, June 03, 2009

the long road North

(the departure)



Oh, happy day! DSL is up and running, I am connected to the outside world. Even hung a few pictures on the walls today.
This cross-country moving business isn't for the faint of heart. Leaving Texas was much more emotional than I expected, considering how we made fun of Houston over the years. We miss our friends there terribly, and I often think of them and what they're up to (and what we're missing out on... sob!)
But we're here now, and soldiering on. By soldiering I mean that the kids are fighting almost constantly and my ability to parent in a consistent and calm manner is waning. Also I ate three Little Debbie cakes in one sitting the other night.
I'm trying to adjust to the Michigan definition of summer, a word that used to mean shorts and flip-flops, playing in the sprinkler, eating dinner on the back patio. Here it means gorgeous, long days with beautiful sunsets and a high of 65 degrees. I've got the heater going at night in JUNE!(With lows in the upper 40s, who wouldn't?) This is like a Texas winter, y'all!
So if the downside is the chilly weather, the upside is the terrain and all of these beautiful trees. Just beautiful. You can actually grow lilacs here, too.
The kids love the house. It has a huge basement and pretty big backyard with a swingset and a spooky storage shed. I like the wood floors and the picture window in the living room. Nobody likes the weird smell at the top of the basement stairs. We've been trying to identify it for days. My vote is stale cigar smoke. Super Q is voting for "dead rats." Antimicrobial Febreze has been a dear friend to me of late. Not a friend to me is the many boxes that we didn't label (?) or that just say "kitchen." What was I thinking? When looking for a can opener to open the only can of black beans in the house, "kitchen" is not a helpful guidepost. Note to self: label more specifically next time. Also, don't MOVE ACROSS THE COUNTRY AGAIN. Also, bring your own fresh ginger, as there appears to be no ginger in the Detroit metro area.

4 comments:

prism said...

oh - I'm so glad you made it. Don't worry - you will acclimate, and then you won't need the heater as much.

I'm with you - I don't love a long winter (not as long here as there), but it is worth it for the trees and the lovely things.

Wishing you the best in getting settled.

Patty O. said...

Oh, the lack of ginger would totally KILL me. I am shocked, since we can actually find ginger here in Effingham--and finding anything exotic in this town is usually pretty difficult.

Glad to hear you are adjusting. Enjoy the cool weather, because when the humidity hits, you may be cursing your decision to move to the midwest. I know I curse it every summer and I grew up here.

Good luck!!!!

Unknown said...

I hope you get settled quickly -- pictures hung is a good sign! And take lots of pictures of how gorgeous late spring is -- they will help you endure the long winter. I have never appreciated flowers, leaves, and shrubs so much. And who knew there were such beautiful flowers? Rhododendrons are my new favorite, along with peonies, daffodils, lilacs, and cherry blossoms.

Lindsay said...

weird how hanging pictures and shelves becomes such a priority. T surprised me for my birthday by hanging up a shelf in the bathroom and I was overjoyed. Honestly.

I've heard nice things about the lake/cabin situation in Michigan.

And I'm secretly hoping you have just ONE MORE cross country move in you someday.... :)

Glad you are back online! missed my favorite blogger!