A Week in 2 1/2 Days

That is what the time since the move has felt like. That is why I am a little late getting this update written. It seems that I am just now coming up for air after the long plunge into the unknown. And it was a scary descent.

MONDAY:
It starts with packing up the rest of the house. Which we didn't finish at the expected time, because it wouldn't all fit in the wagon. We packed up what we could on Monday morning, and then stood out on the porch for a moment of prayer. Prayer that I needed. Because it was hard to leave that house, that life. In the end, it was a good time in my life. SO much so that our house and stuff and comfort had become a sort of idol that could lead to bitterness for having to leave it behind. So I asked my wife to pray with me as I left it for the last time. Thanking God profusely for the gift of a wonderful home to live in. Yet asking help to let it go, because it's not mine to have any more. Never was really. Closing the book in the form of a time of worship just felt right.

Took the 45 minute drive back to my parents house, unloaded the car, took about 15 minutes to check my e-mail and stuff (that's important in chapter 2), took another 15 minutes to hug the kids really tight and say goodbye to my wife. Began the incredibly arduous 4 hour drive to Pitsburgh to live with Becky's parents for the summer. Got there and went almost straight to bed, exhausted.

TUESDAY:
The alarm goes off at 5:15am. Why? I will be riding the bus to the city for classes, and I wanted to take a dry run today. They leave at 6:22 from a point about 20 minutes away. Then the ride is about 90 minutes. Boy am I glad I did because the bus schedules are all messed up due to construction downtown. I would have been late for my first day of classes had I not tested out the system. While downtown, I took care of some business. Got a mailbox at the UPS store, Did some banking at our new bank, visited Steve for a drink at Starbucks where I always get strange looks for asking what they have that doesn't contain any kind of coffee, made sure I knew where my classrooms were, checked out the fitness center, etc... Got an early bus back "home" at about 2:00. Got back at 3:30pm
Logged onto CourseWeb, where all class related stuff is disseminated. The last time I logged on was MONDAY at 3:30pm. Gee, that's odd that the classes are already up that don't start until tommorrow... Wait, why is the schedule suddenly different, and now saying that classes started YESTERDAY, and that I have a presentation due in exactly 18 hours! I took about 15 minutes to totally freak out, and then forced myself to screw my head back on and get started on a project in which I had limited information. Finished it in 4 hours, ran to Staples to make copies at 8:30 - they close at 9. Major problems at Staples, which could be another post entirely,and came back with half the presentation ready. Used my own printer for the rest, along with 45 pages of readings that I will speed through on the bus tomorrow morning with an old highlighter.
Pick out clothes to put on and hang them by the door, and get into bed at 11:30 - to do it all over again at 5:15am.

TO BE CONTINUED...