Ups and Downs

Hi all - I'm here, too. Just got computer access yesterday. The move is done, but it was a rocky one. Check my blog for the gory details (bad weather, short on boxes, U-Haul troubles, etc.). I had to go back to the Eugene house on Tuesday to do the big clean and tie up the loose ends. Thank God my dad just got a pick-up truck because I needed all that space to bring back the misc. crap that had been left behind from the big move on Saturday. I discovered a few drawers/cupboards that had been missed in the packing frenzy, and took about 10-15 bags of crap to the dump.

Going to the dump all my myself for the first time - what a treat!

Then I had to clean the house. That part ALWAYS takes longer than you think it should. In total I spent 8 hrs at the house - packing the remaining little stuff up, doing the dump run, and cleaning. I did a bang-up job cleaning the house. I just can't leave a house a mess for someone to move into. It's horrible to move into a dirty house. So wiping down shelves and drawers, doing baseboards and ceiling fans, floors, windows, etc. takes a shitload of time. It was a long day - 2 hrs each way to get there and then 8 hrs of back-breaking labor. I'm glad to be finished, but was a little sad driving away from that house. We had some very good years there. Lauren has only ever known that house.

And we've been struggling with the decision of whether to take the job offer in Redmond (nearly 150 miles away from Portland in Central Oregon). It's been really hard. Dh was told the Portland firm he'd been interviewing with and was close to an offer with, went with another candidate. That sort of sealed the deal for Redmond. We'd planned on renting out our new house here and renting a place there. I've not been unpacking, knowing we were going. And then, THEN, this morning DH gets an email from the partner of the Portland firm that has been really pushing for him saying that they HAVEN'T made any hiring decisions yet and he remains a strong candidate. WTF??!! That's not what his other contact told him. Clearly a case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing, but it complicates our situation. Because as messed up as that firm gives the impression of being, it would mean we could stay. We wouldn't have to go. Because if we went it would be with the intention of coming back in a few years. This is home. Not having to go is very, very appealing. So we're not sure what the hell is going on. DH has a call into the Redmond firm to discuss the offer and perhaps negotiate a little, and now this. He's going to contact them, too, and try to make sense of it. We just don't know what to do. Being so unsettled is tough and it's taking it's toll. I think I've had diarrhea for the past week.

So that's us. We're here and we're taking it day by day. I love the new house. We just installed a pretty new kitchen faucet. The kind that comes up really high and curves over with the sprayer being the nozzle itself. It makes the sink look (and function) much, much better. I'd hate to leave it behind for some renters to enjoy. I'm starting to find fun things to do with kids in the area - when we lived here before Nicholas was only a year old and I didn't really HAVE to seek that stuff out. Different story this time around.

Ana - any morning sickness yet?
Andrea - any nibbles on your house yet?
Uni - I hope you're finding some peace.
Same goes for you, Erika.
Good job with the weight loss!

gotta go. Let's get some chatter going, ladies!
MP