Down to the Wire

I can't believe it's almost m-day. Wow!! The time, when I started out at 2 months from the moving date, with several push backs of the date due to financial constraints, has still arrived so quickly. Next Saturday--I'm loading up my moving truck and heading out to start my new life 800 miles south of here. I never, in all my thoughts of who I was going to be, what I was going to do with my life--imagined myself as a California girl. "Californian" seems almost anathema to Oregonians and I find myself wondering why. People talk about California drivers and this and that, but other than south Cali (LA, etc) where I wouldn't live if you paid me a million bucks, people in California are very nice and polite, and actually in relation to the drivers bit, are very courteous.

I am very excited. This getting ready to move has done a lot of different things: Sadly, it's demonstrated a lot of people I thought were my closest friends, really aren't. I had no illusions that there would be frequent contact with many people once I moved. However, I had no idea that the vast majority of people I've been friends with for years, couldn't even be bothered picking up the phone to call me, or even return a call, now. It's like I've ceased to exist. Sad, but I guess it's a part of life and we all make our choices. I am very excited about living in a warm, sunny place. Despite the heat, I've discovered I do better in sunny locales. The warmth isn't even bad--I've acclimated very quickly to the heat up here. It's not having a car (hence being stuck) in one place and unable to find any reprieve from the heat that does me in. I also really like the people I've met down there, and hope to make more friends, soon.

Now I need to run and do laundry and keep packing--I'm beginning to panic I'm not going to get done in time.

Insanity...

As many people being parents would surmise, my greatest concern about moving to California has been the need to get Stephen into a good school because he is so intelligent, and education has always been paramount in my book.'

Well, getting him into a good school has been a pain. Ideally, we wanted him in with Dave's sister's kids at Lincoln in the Clovis School District. Clovis by far has the best upper educational institutions, and some of the better K-6 schools, as well. That fell through. We will not put Stephen in our local school in Coarsegold, Rivergold Elementary, because it has some of the most dismal ratings for its demographic in the state. So, we asked to "live" at Dave's parents' house to get into a particular school. Turns out they fall too far south to be in the district line (my god, right?!) and so we fall into another good school district. It's just trying to figure out where he's going that is giving me kittens--I want to make sure he's going to be successful, I'm not just moving into another Oregon City SD.

So, that taken care of (more or less) means time to get shots, birth certificate, and new social security card (ours were stolen years ago in my wallet.) I did this vitalchek.com thing through the dept. of vital stats for Oregon State--and it looked like it would cost 12.50 more than I would pay going in to the actual office. Ok, no worries. Anyone who has been to the office probably feels as I do, that the 12.50 extra is well worth avoiding standing in line, waiting to have requests filled and called, etc. So I get to the paying part--12.50 for expedited processing. 20.00 to have it "shipped!" Are you shitting me? It costs 20.00 to have some state employee take 5 minutes to meter it and then put it in a mail sack?! I think not. I must be paying hourly wage for the mail person, too. It's a racket. Guess I'm just going to up and take the bus in (ugh!!) and do my time waiting. I am not going to pay 32.50 more to handle and ship my document--it's more than the document costs, total! (20.00)

Anyway, if anyone knows of a place to get really really cheap boxes? Pass the info along. The cost of boxes to move is depressing me.

Weekend Double Duty

I can't believe it takes an hour and a half by bus to get to Emanuel where I work when it only takes me 45 minutes by car on a heavy traffic day. I'm grumbling because I am to be at work at 11 am (Split shifts 11a-7:30p until I leave) and in order to pick up my Clif bar and Life Water I have to be out of the house no later than 0845. Ugh. I am going to pack my computer up to haul in with me because I am trying to finish up all of my health class this weekend. That leaves only reading for sociology to do, and then my sociology comp final at the end of next week.

Tomorrow my mom is swinging by her friend's who recently moved back into the "area" (Silverton) and getting me a plethora of Ethel's boxes (the friend) so that this coming week I can start packing incidentals like artwork, photographs, keepsakes, etc. I am currently living in a town house and since Stephen was 6 weeks old I have had his pictures running the length of the wall of my staircase. It is going to be so odd seeing the place where those photos have "always" been empty. The reality of this move is really beginning to sink in. I would love to leave stuff out longer but I know that the longer I do after I can legitimately start packing, the more stressed I am going to be. Ideally I want to have everything but the large furniture packed (and even the couches cleaned and ready to go!!) by the beginning of the third week of July. This means I can spend the last week "deposit" cleaning the apartment.

This coming week is going to be busy: finishing school, starting packing, and taking care of stuff like making doctor's appointments, especially so we can space shots out for Stephen. I've been discussing the immunization process with him, trying not to just spring it on him and give him the irrational fear of shots I had as a child. I also need to schedule several exams (prescription fills, etc) for myself, as well. I want to have all my t's crossed and i's dotted when it comes down to the wire.

Anyway, I need to get Stephen to preschool and get myself finished for work. I think I need 48 hour days, sometimes!!

So close, and yet, SO far...

For the first time in my existence, I can actually say that I need a blog to really keep in touch with friends and family. Many of you are already aware that in July I am moving to Fresno, California to try out "living in" with my boyfriend, Dave. Our plan, based on my requirement, is that we live together for at least six months before committing to marriage. To complete the "living" portion of this we found a beautiful house in the community of Yosemite Lakes Park that is what both of us, oddly enough, have always envisioned as our dream home. It is 1800 sq feet with three spacious bedrooms and two full baths, situated on 2.5 stunning acres in the foothills, about 30 miles away from Yosemite Nat'l Park.

This move has been a hard decision for me--but not from a personal standpoint. My worries have included taking Stephen away from my mom (who has been there since literally the moment he was born) and in some instances, what I am leaving behind as far as friends, family, a good job, and other trappings I have grown attached to. However, I stand to gain so much from this move it's unbelievable: A wonderful, generous man who loves me and Stephen, and treats Stephen as if he were his own son, a wonderful extended family composed of Dave's parents and his crazy (but funny!) sister Tina. I also have a large friend base I am starting to expand down there. I feel like this is my life, 2.0--and this version is everything it is supposed to be. Date nights with a great guy, a wonderful, supportive, encouraging family, a beautiful home in which to raise my son and any other children I may have, as well as a person I honestly believe I will fall more and more in love with as time passes. He's not just my boyfriend. I can honestly say he's a BEST friend.

My last weekend at my job will be the weekend of July 25th and the morning of August 1st it's anchors away and my Penske moving truck will be heading me towards California and my new home. Stay posted. I will keep people updated with pictures, contact information, and general tidbits about adjusting to my new life in the sunshine state. I am *so* excited!