Moving made easier

I don't know if moving could ever be said to be easy. Our nation is now very mobile in the sense that we can get around quickly, easily, and relatively cheaply. But we're more like tether balls, swinging about but always connected to one point in space that we call "home".

We have moved a lot. This is going to be our 8th move and, while some aspects of doing so are old and familiar (haunting liquor store dumpsters for boxes, throwing out piles of things) there are some parts of it that are suddenly so complicated.

Leave forms are a really big deal in the Army. So are TDY forms, and housing applications that need no fewer than 10 forms or copies of identification, and now the kids are in school and Princess has an IEP, and Tag has asthma so we have to fill out an EFMP form which involves a dr's visit and wrestling (called "wrastling" around here) with the clinic until it's filled out, and if we do a DItY move then we have a whole bunch of other forms to fill out not to mention all the paper work after the move to get reimbursed.

This is on top of calling all of the utilities, sending paperwork to our landlord so we can break our lease due to orders being issued, and things like steam cleaning the carpets.

I tell ya, we definitely earn our moving reimbursements.

So, how do you make all this easier? My friend the CrustyCupcake has the right idea: lists. In fact, I'm making a list of all the lists I have just because one master list would make me cry.

Here is a list of things I'm allowing myself to not do as we once again prepare the house to move:

1. Selling Girl Scout cookies is not a holy mission nor will being casual about it make my kid a future junkie. We can walk around the neighborhood a few times but, heaven and earth, I won't be all over town every day after school trying to earn my kid a merit badge.

2. Home cooked meals are wonderful but homemade bread will have to be shelved. Time to usher in cold cut dinners and frozen lasagnas.

3. Daily Show, I love you, but you are now relegated to laundry folding time to maximize my mornings. TED, I love you even more, and I'll watch you while I pedal my bike and eat lunch.

4. Knitting, you get to happen while I wait those 2-3 mins for the kids to get out of school. As long as the big white truck with the balls hanging from its trailer hitch doesn't take up the entire pickup lane, making it impossible for me to park in the parking lot beyond.

5. Blogging, -sob-, I've already been missing you. I'll still be back to say hi and tell the world my news.


Yesterday I had my hair in a pony tail since it's long enough to do that nowadays, but the ponytail gave me a headache. I shook my hair out and winced and Man said "well, you've got it in the wrong way. There are ways to put in a pony tail so that you don't get pressure and pulling that hurt your head."

Me: [staring at him for a second] What the heck do you know about pony tails?

Man: Fine, maybe I don't.

Me: Sorry for the tone. But, gosh dang, Man, I'm perfectly flabbergasted that you're telling me how to put in the perfect pony tail.

Man: [looking a bit miserable] Does this mean you want to cut it again?

Me: Yep. I'm thinking of getting a swing bob.

Man: What is that?

Me: In Man Speak, it means "too short."

One of the biggest issues we have is that we're not precisely certain of dates yet. We know when we're supposed to report (and where -- here we come, Maryland!) but we don't know anything besides that. If you're wondering how important other dates could be when the report date seems so critical... just trust me. There are a lot of dates happening in March that will have a huge impact on what will happen in April regardless of the report date.

So, does anyone want to earn a jelly donut and a tall, cold glass of Country Time by helping us load a moving van?