moving

Today dawns brilliantly sunny, reflecting burning bright off the whiteness of the snow, but that's deceptive. It's very cold outside.

The dogs gingerly lift one foot then another as their feet start to protest the cold that sets in even before they can quickly finish their business outside. Back into the house, quick!

Yesterday was not the best of days for moving. It was quite cold to start, then as the snow storm moved in, the temperature came up -- just a smidge--but so did the wind and later snow squalls. Youngest Daughter and my boys --Son, Son-in-law and Son's Best Friend--did a wonderful job. Never in a million years could I have moved without their help, uncomplaining except for lots of silly jokes and exclamations about the madness of moving in such weather!

Then to make matters worse, the U-Haul truck I rented didn't work very well, having several power-failures en route. It took a lot of problem-solving to get as far as we did, finally Son-in-law having to park it by the side of the road. It was dark and with no lights he just could not go on. Son dropped Son-in-law and Youngest Daughter off at their respective homes. Lucky he was following the truck. Phone calls...talking to more machines....a mechanic came out, got truck into Son-in-law's driveway, and as much as said he is glad U-Haul does not maintain its fleet of trucks because this mechanic can almost make his whole living off calls out to U-Haul breakdowns! Lovely.

I'm waiting for phone call from Son-in-law re progress. Have been unable to get through to anyone at U-Haul drop-off at the other end to complain and get some satisfaction. U-Haul head office also on week-end hours, ie nobody home except recorded messages of lists that will not, I said, will not be repeated... Son says Son-in-law phoned him late last night and said he and Oldest Daughter got stuff off truck and stored Youngest Daughter's things in their garage...

Fortunately for me, our three-point move starting at my old residence, did get as far as dropping off my things at my new residence -- with aforementioned hiccoughs. Things that I am giving to Oldest Daughter and Youngest Daughter off the truck, as far as I know, and I'm assuming truck is back at U-Haul, unless truck would not start again (ok--just call me pessimistic).

Regarding moving, I am moved by the strength and generosity of everyone who helped with my move. Then I was moved by warming hot chocolate for everyone and encouraging chatter from Barbara ( who is the house-mate moving out of my new residence). And then again, I was moved by Ann, my new house mate. She insisted I should not do anything to mop up the snow melt we had tracked in. There she was, mopping the floor, and then drying it off on her hands and knees. I was just sitting there, catching my breath before coming back to my old residence to mop up here.

So I am sitting here this morning, suffering from a headache -- the release of the tensions from yesterday's events, I know. But I'm grateful.

The only injury was to Youngest Daughter. She slipped on some narrow, wet basement stairs and took a painful, bumpy ride to the bottom. She was also the most susceptible to the cold and after riding as navigator in the unheated truck had a very hard time getting warmed up again. She was always the one who so quickly got blue lips in the water as a child, but would insist that she wanted to swim with her older brother and sister a bit longer. "Not yet" she would say through chattering teeth, whenever we suggested that she should come out of the water to warm up. Barbara had her wrapped up in a wool blanket in a rocking chair, with hot chocolate in hand and an electric space heater at her feet!