It’s official, “Those Who Will House Me ‘Til Then” have been relieved of their generous roof-over-my-head responsibilities. The DH and I are now, once again, housing ourselves. This of course means I am back in Philadelphia listening to construction crews and police sirens as we speak. Ah, home…
So in honor of my last two weeks of packing, moving, painting, unpacking, and cleaning, I’ve decided to compile a list of lessons learned during this stressful transitional period.
Top Ten Things I Learned While Moving Twenty Miles
1. When it’s your own stuff you’re hauling, you can somehow find the strength to lift a car off an infant, because that’s how determined you are to get that dining room table into your house.
2. Moving can stress a cat out to the point of acne. And I’m not kidding. I took my feline, Lupi, to the vet because of what looked like a sore on her chin, only to learn she had a giant stress pimple and needs kitty Proactive.
3. When opening boxes that have been sealed for six months, look back and marvel at the fabulous bubble wrap, taping, and packing job you did when the whole “moving” thing was still fresh and exciting.
4. Painting a wall uses more muscles than any gym could possibly strain.
5. Not having curtains when a construction crew is outside your windows can lead to some interesting moments.
6. All those times you’ve helped friends demo a bathroom, move cross-town, or lift heavy furniture really pay off when you look around and realize that eight friends and family members generously showed up on a Saturday to help you out.
7. Furniture delivery men will take their shoes off when asked.
8. When you leave “Those Who Will House You ‘Til Then” don’t forget to look under the bed. All of your Spring clothes might be there, just sayin’.
9. You can go a week without logging onto a computer. I don’t advise this routinely, but it can be done.
10. You’re very lucky to have family who will graciously put a roof over your head, cook you Sunday brunches, and put a Christmas tree in their Jewish living room while you wait for five months to have your house just built already. Thanks for housing us!
Side Note: I will be holding a reading with Taller Puertorriqueno at the Julia de Burgos Book Store in Philadelphia (2721 North 5th Street) this Saturday, May 15th, at 3pm. The event is free and open to the public and will include a reading from Amor and Summer Secrets, a Q&A, book signing, and refreshments.
Hope to see you there!
POP CULTURE RANT: Veronica Mars
Why did I not know this show existed when it was on television? I’ve recently discovered it on OnDemand. (It’s free! Check it out!). And I’m now completely obsessed. I even like the theme song. My only complaint? Why doesn’t Comcast load the episodes faster? I have to wait an entire week for another new show to air on a series that ended years ago. Though I do love out-of-date pop culture references—it’s like a little time capsule. And I imagine that somewhere out there in my perfect TV world, Veronica and Buffy are hanging out at a bar with Angel and Logan punning their heads off.
