Hanging Out in the Margin

Today was my last day at work and Cameron's graduation from MMI.

We are at the end of a year of turmoil and intense anxiety. It was punctuated with frustrations over how we were going to survive the year-long trek to the point we now find ourselves at. Tears, anger, sadness, and those wonderful interludes of laughter, identified the road we were traveling. No signs needed, we were in it for the long haul and new exactly what our destination was. Unfortunately, we had no idea what was in store for us along the way.

Tomorrow is another long day to finish packing. We've only done a little here and there during the week. Fatigue, from all the effort put into getting to the finish line, left us drained and with little drive to put more energy into anything. So, here we sit, with boxes all around us and our livingroom feeling smaller and more confining each day.

It's funny about the boxes. Allie, our resident girly-girl cat, has been taking great glee in toppling empty boxes. Her efforts wall off sections of the room from our dog, Tuesday, who has little room left to fetch her toys. Are these antics intentional or convenient accidents? She seems little bothered by the adjustments to her surroundings as she casually assumes her usual position (sprawled out on her back with her legs splayed to the sides) on the tile floor of our entry.

JarJar, on the other hand, is very disturbed by the whole moving thing. He is known to ponder the wonders of his universe while gazing at the world through reflections in the bathroom mirror. Lately, he has been brooding over the chaos that used to be his livingroom, from the tall counter that overlooks the kitchen and the mess below. His posture is sullen and he sits there like a gargoyle looking out from some ancient stone structure.

Our move will be to Santa Fe, not Albuquerque, as we had originally planned. We decided it would be better to live near the location that he will spend most of the year at. Even though rent is higher there, the reduced wear and tear on his bike will make up for it. We don't have a place to live, yet. We will be staying at a La Quinta Inn for a few days while we scout out the area and view several prospective locations. Our move to Phoenix, sight unseen, was more than enough to convince us not to try that again. (Apartments look much better in the 10 year old pictures displayed in their ads, than they do in real life.)

As I learn more about Santa Fe, it is looking like it will be a good fit for us. There is a lot of culture and abundant opportunities to really get to know the community. I am, also, looking forward to true seasons. Sitting at almost 7,000 feet, Santa Fe receives several inches at a time of snow in the winter, the summers are briefly in the 90's, the spring brings abundant blossoms and the fall is crisp in anticipation of the first snow. A nice change from the 2 season climate of Phoenix.

Ah, the day's activities are finally catching up with me and tomorrow is a very busy day. So, it's off to bed and, if the neighbor's dogs stop barking for more than 20 minutes, hopefully a restful night's sleep.