Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Still wrapping up

We are still in the process of trying to tie up loose ends, and of course, some unseen force is doing some untying at the same time. Who would have thought a 1-year-old Honda minivan's hatch lock and then the driver's seat belt would each break? Of course, not at the same time, so 2 trips to the Honda dealer were necessary. New brakes for the Subaru? Is this the time for you to show your face? Double ear infections for Noah who never gets sick? How can I get lower back pain when I barely have time to exercise? Don't get me started on work hassles.

Enough of the drab, on to the positives. Sebo is loving living in Black Mountain. My mother reports that he has figured out how to get out of the garage door and into the house and then out a back door to get outside. My mom claims the outside door was locked. Pretty good for a creature with no thumbs. Two times she has come home to find him sitting outside by the front door with his new girlfriend, Bella. Another good thing: I found out that we can check our bicycles for free on United if they are in boxes. So, yesterday I went by Brian's and John's to reclaim 2 bikes (Repo Man), got them to Outback, and begged the bike shop chick to have them boxed before we leave next Tuesday. Of course, when we arrive in England with no car and no tools, it will be hard to re-assemble the bikes. That is a bridge for another day.

Off to do some packing.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Visit to Black Mountain, NC

We are visiting with my mom and George for 4 days and also dropping off Sebo for his year in Black Mountain. Sebo has already met a couple of local hounds and should have a great time up here in the mountains.

In under 2 weeks we will catch our flight across the pond!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Anticipation

A great deal of the preparation stress and hassle has been handled. We now have our visas, have secured places in a school for our children, and are close to knowing where we will be living in Bath. Other big hurdles include having found a wonderful family to rent our home in Atlanta and secured a home for our cat, Miso (an incoming graduate student) and our dog, Sebo (my mom). Our belongings are all packed up in the loft of our garage, at my father's, at a number of different friends', and with 2 graduate students.

All of those achievements were major stressors and struggles, each with its own story of pain and glory. Rather than hash over those hassles, we will move on to the current situation.

We are living out of boxes and suitcases at my father's and house-sitting for the Wredes. We are trying to see as many of our friends as possible and continue to carefully select what we will take with us to England. Our departure date of August 5 is rapidly approaching!