And Away We Go…

Friday, August 19th, last day to live in Alabama (for now). I know I brag on Lancelot, alot, but he really does some pretty amazing feats. Last Friday his agenda included: take me to work (1-car family now), get Power of Attorney drawn up for closing next week, get it signed, notarized, taken to the title company. Finish packing truck (insert favorite Realtor-Rockey to help with the heavy stuff). Clean house (even if he did forget to clean the fridge, I hope Mo forgives us), load the Jetta onto a trailer not set up for low-profile vehicles. All this in the middle of August in Alabama. Lock up and drive off to pick up–> ME by 3:30.

I spend the day trying not to let everyone know it’s my last one on duty. My friend (and boss’s wife) Marie kept stopping by to say good-bye. Not knowing if I’d still be there or not. The HARDEST part (and I tear up even now) was when Kristie came by to hang out then I finally had to hug and say good-bye <insert cry break here>. I don’t like good-byes, at least not with thems I love.  (Yes, editor-Lance, I know ‘thems’ isn’t proper, but this WAS my last day in Alabama, please allow it). Fast forward to NOW, Lance asks, “do you have the sniffles?” Me, “yes, sniffling indeed”.  Lance, “that doesn’t really sound like sniffles in there…”  Ok, so I boo hooded AGAIN. A lady that just moved back from China, told me to allow time to ‘mourn’ the loss of everything (peeps) I left behind.

Let me insert the obvious here, that what I will miss most is my 2 kids! I do plan to try to lure them out for a visit and maybe even a move (shhh, don’t tell me it ain’t gonna happen). I raised 2 independent people, they are doing what they are supposed to be doing, living, loving life. I’m glad they each have a significant other (partner in crime, love of their life) to make their journey more fun.

Once Lance rolled into Mt Laurel with his big rig and Jetta in tow, he gets a call from a resident wanting to see the Jetta.  I only tried to sell this car for ONE MONTH and the exact minute we try to leave town, Ted rolls down on his skate board to look at the VW.  Thankfully Ted was just a tire kicker… Lance and Mary roll on out to Hwy 280, on a Friday afternoon during rush hour. Can you say BLEHCK!

Once we got north of Birmingham, it was smooth sailing. When people say ‘Godspeed’ I wonder if that is how we travelled. Here we are, late in the day after a VERY busy week (especially for Lance) and we make it all the way to Mount Vernon, Illinois. Dang. After our 2nd attempt to get a room after midnight, we got the last room at the local Hampton Inn. The creepy little inn keeper gives us a key to 311, apparently he forgot, someone else was already there. Thank goodness for the latches, or else we could have walked into someone else’s nightmare. Note to self, write to Hampton Inn about the first crappy hotel I’ve stayed at that was a Hampton. Two tired puppies, thankful for a place to curl up.