A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words . . . .

But, today, you'll have to settle for the thousand words, instead.

But, let me try to paint you a picture.

Because the satellite Internet link is only run into the battery room of the garage and not into the house yet, I am on a laptop out here. The computer is settled on a cardboard box on top of an old metal stool. I am in an office chair snuggled next to the battery bank and the humming inverter. The large commercial generator (which will kick in automatically on those cloudy days when the solar panels aren't charging the batteries) is on a platform in front of me. The entire room is 6 x 8, and a cute little grey mouse keeps me company zooming around the floor. Cozy and homey, huh?

Speaking of homey, we are - finally - home. We closed on (selling) the house last Friday afternoon, the 15th. The days leading up to that were pure hell. I'd been putting off any packing due to the constant general contractor duties I was having to address up here in order to get this place as far along as possible before we had to move in. Therefore, when it came down to it, we were not ANYWHERE near ready to move out of the old place.

To top it off, we hosted the final Hastings Inn Free House pub party the last Saturday before we sold. A good time, but an insane idea at that late date! And, to make matters worse, we raised the 16 x 20 timber frame woodshed by hand that day! It was the only day the master timber framer was available (not our usual suspect but his co-teacher - and brother-in-law - from the local folk school), so we had to take it! I excused myself around 4:00 to head down and make the final preparations for the party, but Tom didn't arrive to the shindig himself until 8:30 or so, I think. The other workers/friends had already stumbled in for a cold beer and some food by then - each of them exhuasted from the day's work. So, needless to say, it was the most subdued and early-ending of any of the pub parties. I was in bed at 11:30! I bartended from 7:00 until 11:00 and then got the first chance to sit down and have a drink myself. I quickly followed that with two of the catered sandwiches, and then . . . that was it! I could hardly keep myself upright. After I excused myself, the festivities didn't last much longer. I think that Tom was to bed by 1:00 after he closed up - at the latest.

Mom and Dad really saved us last week with Mom coming out several days to help pack. Then, each night after school, Dad would come out to haul up a load with their Suburban and high-sided trailer. Thursday was the BIG push, though. A complete surprise - the girlfriend of one of our best friends (who we don't even know super well yet) drove into the yard Thursday evening with sleeves rolled up and said, "Where do I start?" What a doll!

Our other good friends - without whom this move would NEVER have happened - worked ALL NIGHT (and I do mean all night) Thursday moving us up. She had been helping me as time allowed throughout the previous week, but they both really stepped up to the plate - above and beyond - that last night. We had our Suburban with the high-sided trailer, a full-sized van of theirs which they'd loaned us for the duration, Tom's pickup, and any one of the three cars that we had between us. I have NO idea how many trips were made between the old house and here, but, after not being able to keep our eyes open on the last trip up at 1:30 in the morning (driving three FULL vehicles between us), Tom and I called it quits, collapsed, and sent them home. Little did we know what the two twits had up their sleeves. Even though they both had full days of work on Friday PLUS a drive down to central Minnesota for the grouse opener ahead of them, they went back to our place AND PACKED UNTIL 4:00 AM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We found out the next morning when we returned to a nearly empty house and more packed vehicles. There are hardly any words of gratitude for what they did for us. Flat out, we COULD NOT have done it without them.

More later after I make some progress on the disaster that is the house . . . .