Big Ol' House

Well, we survived the move without killing one another. A miracle, really, considering I am detail-oriented and like to be organized and Steve is all-or-nothing, get it done and get it done now.

I packed boxes carefully for two or three weeks before the move. I also gave away a lot of stuff and sold a few things so that we didn't move stuff we didn't need. He packed nothing until the day of the move. His methods were the exact opposite of mine: throw (yes, I do mean throw) whatever will fit in boxes, tape 'em up & throw 'em on the truck. Labeling the box's contents is a "waste of time," according to Steve.

I resigned myself to the fact that my yelling and complaining about him breaking stuff and us not being able to find necessities once we got to the other house wouldn't change anything, but that wasn't good enough for him. I was determined to pack and label everything I could that I knew we'd want to find quickly. Stuff like toilet paper, daily medications and towels. Every time he saw me packing a box with any kind of care or taking out a marker to label it, he'd scream at me. I don't know where the hell it came from...before the move he was normal (for Steve). During the move he turned into Mr. Hyde or Mommie Dearest - no, both!

But we made it here and it's really a nice place. Only one thing was broken, and that was because Steve's back gave out and he dropped a box. The furniture was a different story. It was scratched, chipped and dinged everywhere - almost every piece. Thank God for Old English to hide the scratches, but you really can't easily repair veneer and that's what some of the damage was. At least the Old English makes the torn-off parts darker and not as noticeable.

We actually had enough money left after closing (which never happens) to buy a patio table, chairs, umbrella and grill from Home Depot. We had a really nice cookout the weekend after the move, and we had plenty of room (if not furniture) for everyone. Janet came, and Amanda came and organized my 100+ cookbook collection and a host of other kitchen stuff. She also made some kick-ass Margaritas for everyone. Steve's sister Rena (pronounced "RenAY") and brother-in-law Matthew came over, and Steve somehow managed to get Matthew to handle all the grilling. I'm looking forward to many more weekends like that.

Hopefully everyone can get out here for a visit, though I know it'd be quite a haul for most of you. We're looking forward to being able to furnish the two spare rooms we have so y'all can stay over and be comfy, but even now it'd be way better than the old house. Heck, we got three bathrooms - what more do you need?