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Back on the Horse
The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.
-- Abraham Lincoln
Sunday, December 1, 2002
Two years ago: Santa Rampage
Three years ago: A Long Drive
Jack called from Michigan this morning. He'd learned from his folks that there might be some issue with his younger daughter H---- staying with her mom during the holidays. H--- wasn't very explicit about why this would be a problem, but what can you do? We'd been talking about if we could afford to have Jack fly to Seattle around the holidays, so I think this settles it -- I'll get the ticket tomorrow.
But this holiday will be complicated! I'm working this month on moving all our stuff out of the West Seattle house back to my/our place on Capitol Hill. This will be much cheaper for us, but it's a smaller place. Plus I'm already committed to Swingout Northwest! So I'll see Jack for a few days before Christmas, then he'll drive me to Port Townsend on the 26th. He'll spend some time with his folks and H--- while I'm gone, then come pick me up on New Years Eve or New Years Day. I certainly miss him and want to see him (we haven't spent many holidays together) but the more time he spends here, the less pay will show up at the end of January.
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It took me some time to decide what to post on the weblog this morning. I didn't post anything about World Aids Day in previous years. This time it felt right, though.
I finally got myself motivated to move (ha!) some boxes over to Capitol Hill. I've already moved thirty six boxes of hard cover fiction and nonfiction, so I was down to Jack's computer books which I had packed before I lucked into the smaller white boxes with lids that I got from Ulrika. That meant the boxes were heavier! I used the hand truck to move them out to the narrow walk that leads to the alley. I only stacked up nine, instead of the twelve I'd done on previous trips. I even whimped out and left one full box here! (I'll move it tomorrow.) I also had a box of food from the cupboard, a box of plastic dishes (those yellow divided plates I ate on at Jack's house so long ago were included) and the wire basket that slides on runners in one of our lower cabinets here. I wanted to check and make sure that the sliding baskets would fit in the cabinet at Capitol Hill; if so, the food storage will be much better than when I lived there before.
I lucked out for the second day in a row, and was able to park directly in front of the door to the building. Yesterday I'd just carried the boxes in by hand, since a neighbor was there to hold the front door open for me. Today I really did need to use the hand truck! One box at a time, I bumped the hand truck up the steps and into our apartment. I'm glad we live so close to the front door (but Jack hasn't lived here yet, so it seems odd to say "we" regarding the apartment). Those boxes are stacked up high! When I was talking on the phone with Jack, we discussed what furniture is worth moving, and the office bookcases will be going -- five-shelf particle-board. We'll have enough trouble fitting the nice wooden shelves into the space available.
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While I was bringing stuff in and moving things around in the kitchen (yay, the sliding baskets will work, so Jack will be able to get things out of the lower cabinet), I took mental notes on some things I needed to buy. So on the way home, I stopped at K-Mart! Lampshades, light bulbs for the nightlights, and a few other odds and ends. I realized that the Dollar Store next door would probably have the good spicy Primo tomato sauce I was out of, plus crackers at a price I'm willing to pay. Now that I'm used to Woven Wheats at a dollar a box, I'm not eager for Triscuits at two fifty!
The Kmart (does anyone really call it "Big K"?) was fairly busy! I did restrain myself on what I bought -- I think the only impulse buys were some hair pins and a new toilet brush holder.
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Catching up: Jack found a contract programming job -- good! But the location is Lansing, Michigan -- bad! He decided to drive out there with the help of friend Bill. They had a good road trip, seeing sights like Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore along the way, with only a few mechanical problems. He found an small studio apartment for not too much money, and even bought a cheap bike so he can avoid paying for downtown parking at work. I really do miss him, especially after living together for the last year or so.
We met up at ConJose -- he flew in and I drove from Seattle to the Bay area, speaking of road trips. I enjoyed the drive, entertaining myself with Tom Sharpe's Blott on the Landscape and Patrick O'Brian's HMS Surprise on cassette and CD, respectively. Thanks, Seattle Public Library! Neither Jack nor I had ever been to the Worldcon before, and we had a blast!
We were married October 5, at the Century Ballroom. Lots of friends and relations were there, including both of Jack's daughters, both my sisters, and my brother! My brother spaced on the time, though, and didn't show up until three (the ceremony was at one). My very dear friend Kate Schaefer made my dress, of red and gold silk, dancing length. I made the ribbon flowers that adorned it. Jack surprised me in the ceremony (Andy Hooper officiated) by giving me a gorgeous dichroic glass pendant.
Jack's older daughter A----- had a baby boy on November 20. Both mom and baby are doing well. I guess I'm a step-grandmother now! I drove down to see her one day last week, and brought her about six boxes of her possessions that had been left behind at various stages of her wanderings. She's in a nice two-bedroom apartment in Lacey, Washington (near Olympia and near her mother) but it's about a mile and a half walk to public transportation.
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So this first of December seemed like a good time to get back on track with my journal. It's a habit that I was sorry to get out of! Please let me know if there's anything that still seems unclear, or that I've forgotten to talk about.
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