So we flew back to the desert last weekend, worked with the packers on Monday and Tuesday, the loaders on Wednesday, closed on Thursday and spent Friday nursing Sam back to health in preparation for our Saturday flight back to New England. Don't you know that Wednesday he woke up with a 102+ fever? The flight back yesterday was bearable mostly thanks to Sam's Benadryl induced sleep. I felt a bit guilty about his unprecedented three hour nap but hey, his doctor told me to keep him comfortable so that's exactly what I did. His doc diagnosed him with a virus so it's just a matter of time before he's back to his wild ways. Even though the timing was lousy for him to fall ill, I'm still glad we brought him with us because he got to play with his cousins and I would have felt sick myself if I'd been so far away from my glassy-eyed little boy.
The move itself was efficient, and all things considered, did not require much more of me than orchestration. The benefit is that I barely had to pack at all; the bad news is that I saw summer sandals being packed in the same box as a gum ball machine. In other words, I will likely be hunting for possessions until every last box is unpacked.
Our cars were confidently loaded onto a transport truck to make the trip and we hope that despite its position, the BMW will not suffer an early demise resulting from low clearance roadways. Also, I didn't watch my beloved antique china cabinet get wrapped or loaded. I try not to think about it and when I do, I remind myself -- it's all just stuff.When we left the house for the last time, I was struck, to my surprise, with melancholy. Listening to the echos off the barren walls made me reminiscent of our early days there before Sam. Of the two and a half years we lived there, almost all of that time was spent preparing for and adjusting to life with him. I recall walking the neighborhood endlessly with Bob, gently urging the dude to make his appearance. I remember putting the infant carrier down on the dining room table for the first time feeling the magnitude of those expectant eyes looking back at me. Before settling down to sleep in our bedroom for the last time, I relived his early days when, same as ever, I would check on him careful not to step on the squeaky spot outside his bedroom door dare I wake him. Once all the last bits of our stuff were out, we walked around one last time and all three of us shed a few tears. Some were for the past (Bob and me) and others were out of impatience (Sam). Before long, we remembered the two scorpions and diamondback (not the kind that plays baseball) who greeted us upon arrival and we knew it was time to go.
Now that we're back in New England, there's an excitement in the air. And some humidity too. There's no better time in my humble opinion than spring here to start something new. The home search begins now in earnest and according to my Dad, time is of the essence! After all the rain, the time is right to weed out the leaky homes from the tight ones. I say, bring on the new listings!
