1. Moving: We officially moved houses on this past Sunday, but we still have a few days of work in our former abode. We have to take the rest of the items out, including spiny aloe vera plants and other items. I insisted upon keeping the "sofa table" there, since my mother insisted that we didn't need it in our new house. I tentatively plan on begging a custodian to haul it to my classroom to serve as another surface for sorting papers. I haven't asked anyone to move it as of yet...

We also have to deal with the washer and dryer. I will print out a flyer today to post on the mailbox area, but we have only 9 days left until we are supposed to be "out of there." One possibility is that the apartment management might take them. There is also an appliance sales place on the way there that might be persuaded to cart them off. It would be nice to get money for them, but that may not happen.

2. The New House: We have SO much crap to unload! Last night, I unpacked the kitchen, only to confirm that we don't have as much storage space as we did in the apartment. I have things stacked on top of the cabinets - and not in a decorative, either. I also have my cookie sheets and other various flat pans in guest bathroom cabinet. My decorator (mother) has proposed a bamboo curtain to separate the kitchen from the dining room during dinner parties. Now, I am pondering a similar arrangement for the space below the kitchen bar - to hide shelfing with china stacked on it!

There are no closets to speak of on the second floor.

We are sleeping on our mattress on the floor in our bedroom at the moment. I plan on painting our iron bed - someday... We have no other beds put together yet. I am concentrating on the second floor to unpack first - that's the living/dining/kitchen area.

Last night, my husband and I went to Best Buys and purchased a DVD/VHS player for our television - we were actually there for a TV antenna. We will not have Cable for another week or so. We were going to try and go without cable, but I need something to keep me going as I unpack. I need my Oprah and Dr. Phil, at least. I was amazed at the reception provided by the $15 space-aged looking antenna, and again contemplated a life without cable. Alas, I am not ready to do without Trading Spaces, Buffy, the Vampire Slayer reruns, and the Food Network, yet.

3. What's Missing: We still need to have the various ceiling fans and lighting fixtures installed. We also need to find someone to install the over-the-range microwave oven.

Mom has found a lovely sofa at a great bargain. It is the same shade of yellow as our newly-painted walls, and is from Beverly-Hall. It was originally $3600 (retail), but has a couple of tears - only one of them noticeable. I am still waiting for the word on whether there is replacement fabric available. If it all works out, we will only pay $850 for the sofa, plus repairs and replacement fabric. Keep your fingers crossed.

4. Computer Access Challenges: We have not got DSL or ethernet at this time. It will be about 2 weeks until Mindspring gets us set up. In the meantime, my husband has a modem set up, and I am trying to use the school's internet connection (and that was a challenge in itself!). I have managed to cobble together an internet connection and computer/printer connection after 3 days of trial and error (cables missing or not working, etc.) I also am having some troublesome crashes on my laptop, which will probably lead to a repair order. I am not looking forward to that. But, having lost my last journal entry (and it was brilliant, I can assure you!) because of a crash (no, I did not save), I am about to throw the thing out of the window! So, expect sporadic communication for a while.

5. Summer School: We started summer school this past Monday. I opted to go to Kinko's for copies that morning, since I was not up on the copier situation in the Sixth Grade Academy, where summer school is being held.

It's truly a "bare bones" operation here. I can't believe that, just a year ago, I was teaching at this facility - albeit in a trailer. Everything is so grungy, there is no refrigerator, they took my computers away, and they are waxing floors and doing summer maintenance, so the hall can be blocked (as in my search for access to the copy machines yesterday) at a moment's notice.

Still, the students are nice, and I am getting the hang of planning for a 3-hour block. As long as I have a functioning copier, that is! Today is the first day I have not been on my feet the whole time.

6. The Commute: Alright, I know that I agreed to live out here, to compromise on driving distances. I know that I have even chosen the house. But there is going to be some stress as I try to cope with the vagarities of of traffic patterns. And I do have my trusty books on CD at the moment. I am listening to Diane Johnson's Le Divorce right now. But there is a clutch at my throat every time the traffic comes to a stand-still. Three out of the past four mornings, I have made it in under 35 minutes. Yesterday took longer because I tried another route. I won't go that way in the morning again - but never say never...