The move to Texas as seen through snaps

Caitlin's Texas move, hot and relentless as well as exhausting, is now complete. And just as I suspected, the third floor is two floors too high. I'm happy to report that after the many trips upstairs which caused multi impromptu stress tests, I'm still alive. Thank you Jesus. 

We began in Louisiana with a trailer full of belongings from three houses, added some stuff from one Texas house, then we crammed it all into a one bedroom apartment. You do that Math and see if it works out. When last we left, she had lots more organizing to do, but we just ran out of time to help since some people had to be back to work. I'm now happy to report that since then she's made much progress with her organizing and sooner than later she'll be receiving visitors. 

Which means she will remain a transplanted Louisianan traversing the highways and byways of Dallas. That city is fully ensconced in its status as a concrete jungle, and while I enjoy visiting, I have no desire to live there. I've been visiting Dallas since I was a teenager when Becky began living and working there. She told me her first apartment was $150 a month in rent, and her monthly salary was $450. I cannot imagine how she was brave enough to tackle the world as a female working in the 1970's. But she did, and she even got Truly Etheredge to drive up from Corsicana on occasion to aid her when needed. That drive to Dallas for him proved he'd do anything for his grandkids. Truly in the big city is the original version of a fish out of water. 

How sweet it would be for him to see another generation living in Texas. If he was anything, he was a died in the wool Texan, loving his little corner in the country and working hard in the hot Texas sun. To see his face again and to have him spend time with us would be dreamy. I'm missing him today. His face, his laugh, his smile and his sense of humor is still fresh in my mind. He was a once in a lifetime grandfather, becoming one at the ripe young age of 42. I was 45 when he died and even though that sounds like a lot of time with him, it wasn't enough.

I think he'd be happy that Caitlin is currently residing in his beloved home state.       

I've decided to document the trip and the move with my snaps. The snaps help me remember what we did and when we did it, because we were moving fast and the pics are such a good help. We arrived in Dallas on a Wednesday afternoon and met Caitlin at her new place. Thank the Lord she hired two movers, because they did so much of the heavy lifting. Remember, the third floor.  

Yes it was.

We had a car full of stuff and a trailer full too. 

Not long after we were on the road, I spilled my drink on my clean white shirt. Well done me. 

There are so many things wrong with this picture. That's not a good eye roll, my hair looks like a terrible comb over, and my glasses look huge.  

Speaks for itself.

It was sooo hot I just can't tell you. 

It did. 

Getting close to moving furniture. 

It does, it does still live. 

There it is. Super cute and spacious. 

It started filling up.

Books are heavy. All people should have Kindles instead. 

It only took about an hour to get the trailer and two cars unloaded. I spent most of my time pretending to direct where things should go as other people trudged up and down the stairs. Did I mention the third floor is too many floors?

After everything was moved up and in, we broke for supper and I really don't remember what else we did. But I do remember this...

It was AWESOME!

I think we went to Best Buy to get her TV and took it back to her place so it would be ready for the cable man the next morning. Then we went to Becky and Keith's and spent the rest of the evening visiting with them as they prepared for their three week trip to Europe. 

Day two of the move. The bed was more appealing than moving in the Texas heat. 

Someone had to be at the apartment all day so furniture deliveries and the cable man could come set things up. All people showed up, but it was literally a waiting day from 8 to 5. And yes, her brand new TV died and had to be returned to the store. Not a huge deal, but nothing in Dallas happens quickly. Remember there are more than two cars on the streets.

This is real and true. All of these words...

While Becky and Keith packed for Europe, John and I packed up Caitlin's things to move to her place. 

We spent the entire time there with me begging Caitlin to buy a trash can. We left town without her having one. She had a vision for the can, and it became something too big. Trash cans ought not be that expensive. In the end, she bought a Wal Mart trash can and all was right with my universe.

Thursday, day two of the move. John and I set out to buy stuff for making Caitlin a headboard for her brand new bed, while she waited at her house for things to arrive. We had a plan and set out with Siri directing us to the store. I'd put my phone on the dash board of the car, and I was driving, living life and feeling fine. THEN. Some long amount of time later, I realized Siri was no longer talking. It was then that I mentioned this to John, and it was just after then, that he discovered my phone was off. It had overheated due to the hot sun baking it on the dashboard. It was a mistake of epic proportions. 

By the time all of that was discovered, John and I were halfway to the coast having no idea we would soon see the Gulf of Mexico Texas style. In hindsight, we should have been more interested in listening to Siri instead of our own conversation. In other hindsight, if Siri is so dang smart, why couldn't she send us some kind of signal to let us know she was baking? She could have yelled the wicked witch line....."I'm mellttting!!" Not so smart are you Siri? 

She is such a...... 

Well, because we had multi stops to make, and because there was also an argument to be had with the employees of the craft store JoAnn's, we were a full hour and one half longer than we had hoped we'd be.

One of our stops was Home Depot to purchase the board for the headboard. This nice man is cutting it to the correct size. Did you know Home Depot gives you two free cuts? Well they do.

When we finally arrived back at Caitlin's, I have no idea what we did. Oh wait, we left again in search of storage things at storage places in Dallas and then ate Pei Wei for supper and went back to the Fords to collapse until the next morning.

Oy vey the next morning... 

It was go to Ikea day. This place can only be experienced and not explained. 

We had a firm deadline for leaving Ikea so Caitlin could make an appointment she had at 1:00. Also, I want this light to hang somewhere in my house. Because of the enormity of this lighting situation, it would fill two rooms quite nicely. 

She then picked an entire entertainment unit in a short time, a lady did a drawing on a computer in another short time and then...

We had to go find and choose all the many boxes to make the thing come to life. 

When we got to the checkout, the lines were one million people long and when it was finally our turn, the checker discovered John had missed a box. Apparently we needed 501 boxes, not just 500. He RAN back to get the box we missed and then we had to get the car to a loading dock so we could load the car. It was very involved. 

After we left Ikea (praise the Lord) we had to get Caitlin to her appointment and then go get her car and then I don't remember what we did after that...oh wait...we went back to her apartment so John could begin the assembling of her entertainment center. You'll have to wait to see. 

The process took about 8 hours or so. 

Some idiot can't spell or some idiot snapchat changes the other idiot's words to not mean anything. 

She was making progress. 

This is still true. I don't know if they think I'm incapable, or they don't work well with others. Wait...I know which one John is...it's the latter. 

Caitlin's project is done...

John had much more to do to finish his. 

After a full day of running more errands and putting furniture together, we ate pizza at the Fords and collapsed at the end of day 3. On Saturday we awoke to more third floor living as well as the Fords leaving town for Prague. How many times have you ever said this about someone you know? They are flying to Prague in the Czech Republic. That's one for me.

This was so true.

After we said our goodbyes to Becky and Keith, Caitlin and I took John to the apartment so he could work on the entertainment center. She and I then ran more and more and more errands. I have no idea where we went or what we did. Then we had to go back to Becky and Keith's house. Right after we arrived I got a call from Becky saying Keith had forgotten something at the house and needed it for their trip. It was perfect timing for all involved and probably God designed. So the two of us raced our way to the airport to drop off the bag and we were on our way back to doing whatever it was I don't remember. 

It was while leaving the airport we discovered our ticket for getting out was missing. I mean....we were only there for 10 minutes! And we lost the ticket in that amount of time? I have no idea how. Anyway when we got to the gate to leave, the man had to get my car tag number, call someone, look up the video of the time we came into DFW, so they could collect our two dollars. Although we were stupid for losing the ticket in less than 10 minutes, that was not the only stupid involved. 

Also on Saturday Olivia came in the afternoon for her first look at Caitlin's place. Caitlin and I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening working on her bed headboard, while John continued on the entertainment center. 

It's only the second time I've made one of these without Melanie's tutelage. 

As well as making it with a crazy person who thinks everything is wrong!

But after thousands of staples, some facetiming to Melanie, as well as slipping Caitlin a sedative, we prevailed and it looked great. 

Perf.

At 8:00 that night, we broke for supper, ran to Fernando's and ate a yummy meal then went to see the new Cowboys facility in Frisco. Even though it was 11 when we finished all that, we went back to her place so John could complete her TV's home. We left for our  beds somewhere around one o'clock in the morning. 

Putting on the finishing touches.

That is tada. As in TADAAAAA!! Take a bow. You did well Dad.

Meanwhile, the Fords had successfully popped over the pond. 

I feel like this will be the only time someone ever snaps me from Prague. Ya know?

Sunday morning I was freaking hung over, from exhaustion not alcohol, and snapchat apparently knew it. 

But you know what we didn't have to do? Go to the apartment and finish anything that morning!! Huzzah!!

Instead we went to brunch at Breadwinner's...go if you've never been. Olivia took this pic and it should really be an advertisement.

Then we went shoe shopping for John at DSW. He is the MOST ridiculous person to shop with in the history of the world. I just cannot do it very often.

Just an FYI, when I don't use a contraction, it's for dramatic over emphasis. As in HE'S THE WORST SHOPPER EVER. AND I JUST CANNOT. Because he hates to shop, he only does it occasionally, which means the tennis shoes he was wearing that day were over a year old. Those poor shoes had been through it all, times 10. SO when he was told we were buying two pairs?! We had to get the man some oxygen. In the end he got four pairs of shoes as well as a full case of flop sweat. But then he left for the pretentious grocery store and another wild ride with Siri who led him to downtown and the food trucks. He is so silly to trust her. I told him she hates his guts. He just didn't believe me in time. 

While he was off and running with his untrustworthy sidekick, the girls and I had lamps to buy. Fun stuff.    

Lamp was found. Kate Spade from Home Goods. Super cute. Beba got one too. 

I don't have a pic of the coffee table. Bummer. But picture it in your mind to be super cute. Then the girls wanted to go to Cheesecake Factory because we love their corn succotash. We took a pic so we could try to recreate it at home. 

It's yummy. 

We finished up the night with a slow ride home and then it was time to sleep and leave. 

This was in reference to a news article I'd read about a flight being cancelled due to a supposed really bad fart by a passenger. What's even weirder? I didn't know at the time that Aaron was delayed trying to get home because of this cancellation. He really WAS gonna be leaving on a farty jet plane! But it was canceled BEFORE he could get on it. Just making sure to clarify, he was in no way the farter. 

Olivia and I picked Caitlin up for lunch before we left town. 

It's July in Texas. We don't need a fire. 

We dropped her back off at work and we headed for home. 

Olivia and I were going to stop in Forney at those outlet stores and missed the whole thing. I mean, we never even saw them as we left. It was not my best trip for navigation and participation. That last word wasn't necessary, but I liked the way it sounded. 

If there's a small car in the sky, we're back home. 

That's the move in a nutshell, or, a blog post. We're all glad we're on this side of the move and not that side of it. And we've already discussed that on her next one, she will have to have professionals. It's as it should be. 

Now I've spent the whole day working on this post and my couch and I are currently not friends. I need a new one, but I hate the process. 

I'm off to make supper and counting down the days until Emma flies home for a month and then my small family will go to Corsicana and maybe somewhere else yet to be determined. I'll let you know as soon as I know. 

For now, it's Taco Tuesday! Anyone want a taco? 

Then you need to be here in the next hour or it's too late. 

P.S. There are probably some typos, but I'm sick of looking at this, so I'll check more later.

I'm off to taco land. 

Update: I came back and checked for typos and there were so many. Hope I got them all.