Saturday, June 2, 2007

Gas prices really hurt in a big truck

We are so out of Urbana. This day has been in the making for four years. I literally cried the day we came to look for apartments in Illinois. I couldn't believe how profoundly ugly the landscape was - barren, flat, treeless. And how icky the weather was, at least that day - heavy and wet like an old dishrag. I really thought we had completely lost our minds. Time has mellowed my opinion of the "corn desert" if only slightly. I can now appreciate the subtle beauty of the spring when the corn just starts popping out of the ground and everything is a different shade of light green. And I actually looked forward to the fall - crisp cool days, the beer and chili fest and the end of the farmer's market with its bounty of peppers and apples.

But here's the bottom line: I won't miss the place. Of course I'll miss our friends. Over the last couple of years we made friends that I know we'll stay in touch with for many years to come - just the same as our great friends from Albuquerque/Air Force. These friends are the reason, I suspect, that I feel slightly sentimental about CU. It must be the people because it certainly isn't the wonderful outdoor experiences or the unique and tasty food. Anyway, the Illinois part is over.

The move went reasonably well as moves go. Of course there is the last minute frantic packing when the contents of the house seem to have tripled. And the end-of-packing clutter that I never know what the hell to do with. You know, the random pot, 5 knick-knacks, 2 towels, handful of CDs and 8 half full bottles of shampoo - among dozens of other things. Should they all go in the same box? The nitpick in me says NO WAY! But the realist in me ultimately threw it all in one box and labled it "odds & ends." Then came the parade of neighbors, who I will genuinely miss. Some of them foraged through the unwanted what-have-you that we placed on the corner (rakes, Christmas tree, etc), while others wished us well and generously offered their well-appointed showers since ours was freshly sanitized for inspection.

Finally, we begged (and stole) trash space from friends and neighbors. It is amazing the amount of unwanted and generally unusable junk that accompanies a move. I just wasn't willing to cart a cupboard full of those crappy disposable Glad containers across the country. Besides, they were stained and smelly. And I didn't figure anyone could use expired coupons, a broken beyond repair filing cabinet, or the packing foam from the TV and VCR that we gave away. One trash item that may be of interest to Jeff is a particular toaster. Yes, we finally threw it out, plastic bag remnants adhered to the side and all. I didn't even try putting it in the "free for free" pile curbside.

The drive was enormously uneventful. And it seems like none of our stuff was smashed into oblivion. All of our belongings are now safely tucked away in a corner of the attic at 156 and we are taking it easy for a couple of days before the big trip. Stella finally received her endorsement from the USDA (see earlier post for that fiasco) and our newly minted (and badly photographed) passports are at the ready.

So, here we go. Bear with us as we try to get internet and phone connections over the next few weeks. The blogging may be sporadic for a bit but I intend to post very regularly as I am sure there will be MUCH material to write about.

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