Masthead

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Moving Day

This was a big week for me.  It was moving week.  Saying goodbye to my house, my job, and the city and state I've called home for six years.

And how awesome is this?  We haven't received any rain of note in Oklahoma City in months but on moving day?  HELLO HURRICANE HERMINE!  Yep.  It started raining in the wee hours of the morning and didn't let up until that night!  I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.  I decided to look at it as a good luck omen since I'm moving to the Pacific NW where it rains a lot.


At 7:45 a.m. the movers arrived with a truck that, in all seriousness, could hold the contents of ten houses my size.  It was a bit intimidating for my little neighborhood street.


The organized chaos ensued and bit by bit they started moving my stuff out the door. 


Don't forget my cowboy hats!  A girl can never have enough cowboy hats.


When I ran to get lunch for the movers I got soaked.  THANKS HURRICANE HERMINE!


After about nine hours of packing and hauling and loading and arranging...all of my worldly contents were packed up in the giant truck that drove away...and in so doing hopped the curve and busted a low hanging limb off a neighbor's tree...and is now in transit to Washington as we speak.

And then my little house was empty.


Well, almost empty.


And so it is done.

I will miss my wonderful friends who gave me one of the best going away presents thanks to Holly's clever maneuvering.  One that bridged my home in Oklahoma with my new home in Washington...an OETA umbrella that everyone signed!  Because umbrellas are a big necessity where I'm going.  I love it.


And  I love that all of my wonderful colleagues signed...even my favorite six-year old colleague Max.  He gives me hugs when he sees me and it brightens my day.


Thank you for everything, Oklahoma.  We will miss you.



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Monday, September 06, 2010

Labor Day - Literally

things bought
and the money spent
are they really heaven sent?

things of this world
they do not last
so why your lot in
do you cast?

can money and things
buy you happiness you think?
can it love for you bring?
or can it bring you to the brink?

i believe still today
that it won't bring happiness your way
nothing in this world will buy
what you really need inside

so follow your mind
and you will find
that if you're smart
you'll follow your heart.

~Scott Kinney

So I'm just saying that I have decided to become a minimalist.  All I really need is my bed.  That is all.  The rest of this stuff has got to go!

That is because over the last month and a half I have sorted through every single thing I own.  I'm serious.  Since my garage sale in July, I have been in the process of preparing to move, sorting through my things, organizing, arranging, packing, and giving lots away. 

I decided to treat this move differently than those in the past where in my old home I just threw everything in a box and in my new home put it all in a drawer or cabinet or on a shelf without giving it much thought.  I decided this time that because I'm actually combining my stuff with another person's stuff til death do us part (counseling anyone?  I'll drive!), I would go through each and every thing I own to decide if it is something that I really need in my life.

What a time consuming, painful, horrible, liberating, wonderful, terrible process this has been.  Oh, the decisions!  Oh, the endless collection of stuff that has amassed over a lifetime!

But today?  I FINISHED.  I can honestly say that I have touched and /or seen every single item I own whether it was in the back of a junk drawer, in the corner of a closet, or hidden deep inside a box in my garage that hasn't been opened in 20 years. 

And I was pretty ruthless, too.  I really purged a lot of stuff and that feels good.  I like knowing what I have, where it is, and how I'll be able to incorporate my things into the things owned by my better half.  (Yikes!)

So right now I am dirty, sore, and pretty exhausted, but I'm ready for the movers to come, take my stuff and drive off to Mexico with it so I'll NEVER HAVE TO UNPACK IT AGAIN!

Because seriously, all I need is my bed.  And apparently my fridge...


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Saturday, September 04, 2010

Girls Night Out

Mom was nice enough to come to Oklahoma City today to help me get ready for the movers to come on Wednesday.  She also gave me her dining room chairs with is about a million kinds of awesome!

For dinner she wanted me to choose since this is my LAST WEEKEND IN OKC.  That is so weird I can hardly believe it!  So I chose the legendary Cattleman's Steakhouse in the Stockyards of Oklahoma City.  Steak. Seriously...is there anything better?  Yum.

But there was a 45 minute wait!  Mom and I waited upstairs and chatted it up with a very nice woman from Montana who went to college in Colorado.  Guess what?  I grew up in Montana and went to college in Colorado!  Needless to say we had a had a lot to talk about.


And the best thing?  After waiting almost an hour...WE ATE!  We ate wonderful food and by wonderful food I mean STEAKS!


In between good conversation we had musical entertainment.  This guy on the harmonica was pretty good!


Over the last six years I've always had such a good time when Mom has come to OKC.  It's a little bit bittersweet that this is her last visit here to see me!  I had a  great time. 

And if you're ever in Oklahoma City, eat in the Stockyards at Cattleman's!  You'll love it.

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