Relief and panic... yes, they coexist

Selling our house was a huge mile stone and step forward. The stage is being set for our cross country move in August and it's come complete with all the pre-production stress and I'm sure drama. Selling the house was a relief for sure, but the move itself and finding a new home in North Carolina is a daunting task as well, one we're not looking forward to. I'd love to wave that magic wand, say some abra-cadabras and poof, I'm sitting on my screened-in porch somewhere near Raleigh sipping a margarita. Unless I make some fast work at Hogwarts, that isn't going to happen.

Finding out as were driving home from Gardnerville to Las Vegas that our house sold was good news, but with it came a mountain of stress and a very real crushing feeling -- Now what? It became clear the move was becoming more a reality and was going to happen fast. You think SpyC getting a job in North Carolina would have made it all real, but it didn't, really, If we didn't sell the house she could always come back, or not leave to begin with. Now that the house is under contract, the immediacy of the situation is welcomed and nerve wracking all at once.

Now that we've had a few days to chew on what needs to be done, we've been able to slice up the pie and take smaller bites - handling each thing one at a time. SpyC has started packing up her classroom. We've completed the application for and been approved for our mortgage in Raleigh. Now, we need to find a house. I will be visiting North Carolina sometime next week to meet with our realtor and check out some homes. I may even pick one and make an offer while I'm there. That scares me because SpyC won't be with me. We've well researched the market on the internet together and have picked several homes that have the features we're looking for. Knowing what we both can't live without will make the decision easier, but alone it will be difficult. The quicker we act there, the better chance we have of being able to move right from Las Vegas directly into our house in NC. Skipping a move to a storage unit, and then to the house, would be quite nice.

I've already secured a moving service, but I need to update them on the move date, the furniture to be moved and discuss details of shipping a car and other little bits. Which intimidates me because you never hear anything good about the moving industry, although our mover comes BBB recommended. Then we have to worry about the cats. I'm pretty set on flying them out there. I can't imagine driving for a week with those two in the backseat. Just doesn't seem tolerable. Flying them non-stop from Vegas will only take five hours and it's over. But that brings with it its own challenges. Do we fly the cats out first and board them in Raleigh, or do we board them in Vegas, move and then move them? Then again driving them with us eliminates all of this. All I can think of is Noah pissing in my car. I have a feeling as the time gets nearer it will be a more difficult decision.

We could fly them out and house them with SofaKitty, but her precious is keen to being alone and god knows what our little horn-sprouting angels will do when intimidated by a cat with claws. Noah will piss for sure, and Joey just might follow suit. So that option doesn't always seem like a good one. Especially when it's an apartment. If we board them in Vegas, they won't be thrilled for that week, but we can come back, get them, and move them right into their new home. That will be a transition in and of itself that I don't look forward to. Joey will probably be ok, but Noah, I'm sure he'll let us know he does not approve of having is life altered. He already makes that readily known. Decisions and dilemmas...

Sold!

Beth and I countered the offer our potential buyers put in Saturday and they accepted the counter offer, as-is! Hooray! Our house is now sold, barring the damn thing falling out of escrow. Fortunately that doesn't seem likely because we have pre-qualified buyers who have already sold their home and are looking to move quickly.

So when's our last day in Las Vegas? August 5. Eek! Way too close, but great timing. SpyC needs to be in Raleigh by August 16.

Offer pending...

YEAH! HOORAY! We've received an offer on the house, but don't have all the details yet. We will be discussing it with the realtor today and get more info. Holy shit... we just might sell our house! More to come...

CCU Closed

The critical care unit has officially been closed. SpyC is back to near normal (was there ever a normal?) and is progressing in her recovery quite nicely. We, or maybe just me, were a little worried about how she'd fare when I had to return to work two days post-op, but it turns out she didn't need me. Sniff, sniff. She did just fine and continues to do just fine. She had a check-up this past week and the doc said she's doing fine. Hooray for her.

SpyC and I had dinner with her parents last night at the Elephant Bar, one of my favorite chain resteraunts. SpyC, her mum and I decided to see "The DaVinci Code" after dinner. We quite enjoyed the movie. It was very different from the book in several places, but the end result was the same and I thought they did a nice job. I was suprised, at one point, that a detail not in the book was added when so many details from the book were deleted. Interesting. But it was all the same. I enjoyed the movie and plan on adding it to my library when it is released.

For those who know me, I don't have a movie library, but I do buy movies from those that I support, usually for political reasons... like when I bought Michael Moore's "Farenheit 9/11." I had to buy it just to support him. Same for DaVinci... I think Dan Brown is a good author and I like his alternate, although ficticious, portrayal of the Catholic church. The Church and I don't get along, in case you didn't know. And we bought "Brokeback Mountain" for the same reason... to support gay cinema because the Christian right doesn't. Gee, could that be why the church and I don't get along? One of the many reasons, I'm sure. SpyC and I like thumbing our noses at the masses, and buying movies like the ones mentioned, and our very near purchase of the Dixie Chick's new album is one of the ways we do it.

Critical Care Unit

I am currently operating a CCU out of my house as I help nurse SpyC back to health. She had all four wisdom teeth extracted this morning, and, needless to say, she's not comfy. I am tasked with the job of repacking her gauze every 30-45 minutes and making sure she's nourished and takes her meds. Things seem to be going fine... she's eating little bits here and there and drinking lots of fluids.

Thank goodness for Campbell's "Soup at Hand" soup. It's in a micorwaveable container and you drink the soup right from the can. The design makes it very easy for SpyC to consume her "when I'm not feeling well I like to eat tomato soup" soup. I bought one with plans to refill it from the old fashioned can... the ready-made deal is nearly three times the cost of the traditional can. SpyC's diet also consists of mashed potatoes, strawberry milkshake, cranberry juice, raspberry, peach and key lime yogurt and water. Hopefully by Sunday she can tackle a more substantial diet tackling solid foods. For now, it's baby steps.

I had a root canal yesterday and can happily report I don't have any pain. My gums are a little tender where the needle entered, but other than that, I feel peachy! Thank goodness for that. We only need one of us down and out right now... two would not be good. And although I am trying my best, and SpyC says I am doing fine, SpyC still wants her mommy. And I don't blame her. When I'm under the weather I still want my mommy too.