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OK, so it took a little more than clicking the heels of my ruby slippers to get here, but here we are!
The move went very well. As it turned out, I ended up with more than enough help to move the big stuff. With B & G (friends who live here in town), Cam's youth pastor, Cam (who found himself suspended Friday for “inappropriate” language) and I all working diligently, and the rental of a 10' U-Haul, we were able to get the furniture moved in two loads and in about two hours.
I made a few more trips back and forth with the car to get the boxes and bags of miscellaneous “stuff” and by Saturday morning we were settled in.
The first night in the apartment was QUIET! Cam spent the night with a friend and with no TV or internet … well, what in the world did we do before cable and the internet? Read books and listen to the radio? EGADS!
Saturday I decided I had better get some books – off to the library. BONUS! The library has free wifi. I got caught up on my email, went through my reader (one of these days I'll have enough time to start commenting again) and checked my bank balance. Then I had a moment of brilliance – my laptop plays DVD's … the library loans DVD's … it's almost like TV! I've watched “Angels and Demons”, “Martian Child” and “Fireproof”. The best part? I got to pick the movies I wanted to watch!
Saturday night I got to meet Cam's new girlfriend (more on that later – for now, let's just say she's a nice girl, with tons of drama and a few too many (IMHO) years on Cam) and took them both to the Christmas show at church.
Sunday? Laundry day! We don't have laundry facilities here at the apartment complex, but we do have a laundromat in town. This is my new laundry room.
You know how laundromats have those wheeled wire baskets for transferring clothes from the washer to the dryer? Well, my laundromat has those too … they're just a little different than the ones I'm familiar with.
Hey! they worked, and soon the clothes were in the drier.
The total cost to wash three loads of clothes? $3.75. The total cost to dry three load of clothes? $2.25. Completing three loads of laundry in 74 minutes? Priceless! And I was able to pick up a rogue wifi signal there too!
I want to thank you all for the thoughts, prayers, well-wishes, and texts throughout the weekend. Being “home” still doesn't feel real. I had grown so accustomed to the controlled, chaotic lifestyle I was living that being here seems … well … weird. It's going to take some time to let go of some of the senseless “rituals” that were required of me before the move and to allow myself to be the person I was meant to be. At times I feel overwhelmed with peace and quiet. I'm working on resetting my “normal” meter!
The move went very well. As it turned out, I ended up with more than enough help to move the big stuff. With B & G (friends who live here in town), Cam's youth pastor, Cam (who found himself suspended Friday for “inappropriate” language) and I all working diligently, and the rental of a 10' U-Haul, we were able to get the furniture moved in two loads and in about two hours.
I made a few more trips back and forth with the car to get the boxes and bags of miscellaneous “stuff” and by Saturday morning we were settled in.
The first night in the apartment was QUIET! Cam spent the night with a friend and with no TV or internet … well, what in the world did we do before cable and the internet? Read books and listen to the radio? EGADS!
Saturday I decided I had better get some books – off to the library. BONUS! The library has free wifi. I got caught up on my email, went through my reader (one of these days I'll have enough time to start commenting again) and checked my bank balance. Then I had a moment of brilliance – my laptop plays DVD's … the library loans DVD's … it's almost like TV! I've watched “Angels and Demons”, “Martian Child” and “Fireproof”. The best part? I got to pick the movies I wanted to watch!
Saturday night I got to meet Cam's new girlfriend (more on that later – for now, let's just say she's a nice girl, with tons of drama and a few too many (IMHO) years on Cam) and took them both to the Christmas show at church.
Sunday? Laundry day! We don't have laundry facilities here at the apartment complex, but we do have a laundromat in town. This is my new laundry room.
You know how laundromats have those wheeled wire baskets for transferring clothes from the washer to the dryer? Well, my laundromat has those too … they're just a little different than the ones I'm familiar with.
Hey! they worked, and soon the clothes were in the drier.
The total cost to wash three loads of clothes? $3.75. The total cost to dry three load of clothes? $2.25. Completing three loads of laundry in 74 minutes? Priceless! And I was able to pick up a rogue wifi signal there too!
I want to thank you all for the thoughts, prayers, well-wishes, and texts throughout the weekend. Being “home” still doesn't feel real. I had grown so accustomed to the controlled, chaotic lifestyle I was living that being here seems … well … weird. It's going to take some time to let go of some of the senseless “rituals” that were required of me before the move and to allow myself to be the person I was meant to be. At times I feel overwhelmed with peace and quiet. I'm working on resetting my “normal” meter!
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22 comments:
I'm thrilled for you Dana. Your writing lets me feel a bit of what your journey is like. Thank you for sharing.
There is something to be said about a laundry mat. Doing 3 or 4 loads at one time is worth the haul.
Glad you are settling in. I am excited for journey and proud of your strength. And dying to hear about Cam's cougar girlfriend!
I think I heard a little click this weekend...a reset button for sure.
I am very happy for you. I think you will see that this Freedom suits you.
Also, in your future dealings with the ex spousehole, just remember that you are your own person now and you owe him nothing.....
Im happy for you all too.
Glad you got all moved and stuff. That not in apt laundry is going to get old, but you can deal with it.
A couple of weeks ago, on a Saturday night, the cable and internet went out here. I ended up turning on the easy listening radio station and put my feet up and read all night. It was actually a pretty peaceful evening. Thank GOD the cable was back on the next morning though! LOL ;-)
The last long trip my guy and I took to his parents condo in MD, we only wanted to borrow his parents laptop so that we had something to watch! No cable tv, dial-up internet (And had to "borrow" his parents AOL account, lol) meant borrrring on the times we didn't have someplace to go.
We prepared for it by downloading a bunch of TV episodes we needed to catch up on, and some movies.
Looks like the cost of your laundromat is much more reasonable than my friends - $4 PER LOAD just to wash, and 25 cents for 3 minutes of drying time.
Before long you be singing "Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty I'm free at last!" Now go and enjoy yourself. Stop pondering on what was and start thinking about what can be.
Take a deep breath and smell the roses.
Welcome home Dana!
:)
Glad to hear the move went well. Don't miss the laundromat, but they do make the job quicker. I fyou haven't read South of Broad, it's pretty good so far.
I'm so very happy for you Dana!
Lu, you know me - the over-sharer!
Karen, Cam's girlfriend *rolls eyes*
Micky-T, let's hope that WAS the reset button you heard and not some other catastrophic event!
Joker_SATX, I'm keeping a list of all of the nonsense rituals I've gotten so used to. You'd be amazed.
Doc, thanks Doc!
Jay, fortunately, the laundromat is just 1/2 mile away and has decent hours (8AM - 10PM every day) so hopefully it won't be too bad!
Dangerous Lilly, I didn't even think about "stocking up" on downloads before leaving the comforts of my internet. Where were you a week ago??
Shiny Rod, I'm actually past what was - just didn't realize what freedom looked like anymore!
we're doomed, the house smells more like freshly cleaned carpet ;-p
Kim, thanks snookums!
Bette, I was glad that the move went as well as it did too!
Hubman, thank you!
Oh! I'm so happy the move went well. Such awesome news. I think you will love your new "normal". Cause it will be - normal. :-)
Opps! I missed the picture you took of the dryer door. I took a better look.....
The new you!
Like Ty Pennington might say..."Well there's just one thing left to say, Welcome home Dana and Cam family...welcome home!"
Man...peace and quiet. I hope you get used to it because it's really nice. Cheers Dana!!
Ah....don't miss laundry mat days... But small price to pay for your freedom and well being :)
Yay for clean clothes and moving!
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