On how the sway kept me home

Oh that sway... 

Oh, the uncontrolled feeling... 

Oh, the sweating and the shaking and the adrenalin rush and the... oh, oh, wow, whoa, whoa, whoa...  S H I T   C R A P   SHITCRAP!!!!!! 

I got to 55 MPH with the van and the trailer.  Took a turn and started down a downhill slope when the trailer started to sway...   My mind got the best of me and I thought we were going to crash and die from the increasing swaying of the van that I couldn't stop because of said slope...  But the part that reeeeaaaallllyyyy sucked was when the kids yelled the van was swaying... no confidence in mommy at that point!   Of course I didn't crash and die, but did get to slow down the van and promptly went back home.  Called the husband and told him I was parking it and that was that.  Mmhp! 

 

Ok, NO I'm not on the road yet.  Again, to those who know me "live" this comes as no surprise...  for the rest of you:  yes I am certifiably. 

The stinky guys at the stinky recycling dump/weigh station are really cool, and I think that after being there 3 times to weigh the trailer I became their friend.  It could have helped that I'm female.  And I don't stink.  But since I don't have a sense of smell I didn't take that into consideration...  Hub always manages to tell me (way after the fact) that whatever guy I've been so nicely huggy with stinks of BO to high heaven, so I've learned to let go of the grossness and enjoy the fact that I can hug a heck of a lot more people than most others do on this planet.  Anyway, the guys at the dump were really nice and helpful (actually they were not really, but did cut me a break on the price and I told them they should pick up all the good coupons out of the papers left for recycling and use them!  And if not call me and I will!

UPDATE:  The movers are showing up between 8:30 and 9:30 AM and are taking EVERYTHING.   If any of my friends in Indy are reading this and wondering whatever happened to  "I'll be coming back one more time to meet the movers", well here it is in my best Hoosierish: "it ain't gonna happen."  I'll certainly be back for a visit now and then, but I have to accept my job here is done...

Hurricane Ivan effed off and went somewhere else, which is so bad of me not to follow it anymore, but it is just too stressful a time for me to be depressed by the news. 

What else...  Oh,yeah!  We got in the van to leave for Los Angeles (before the sway brought us back) and Carmela promptly released her diarrhea all over what I had made into the kids' bed.  That was fun and a half.  Malachi proceeded to jump on said bed and stomp all over the crap and Benny just couldn't decide if he wanted to be on the bed, off the bed, on the bed, off the bed... my only assumption is that Benny was the designated shit spreader... funfunfunfunfunfunfun in the sun.  So the more I got upset with them and yelled the worse it got...  Malachi would go for "submissive" and quickly layed down ON TOP OF THE SHIT.  Benny would run away from me and spread the shit even MORE WIDELY around the globe.  Carmie just sat there patiently working on her next deployment.  I could now check off one thing on my mental "to do" list:  Figure out which dog ate the wheat tortillas.

Sigh...!

 

Going... going... GONE!!!

The other woman had her baby.  She had him on the 2nd via emergency C-section, but both are well (for those of you just tuning in, this is *not* my husbands baby!!).

Anyhow, we're leaving today!!!!!!!!  ok, those of you who know me well know that means we're leaving tonight... I mean, tomorrow very early morning... 1am I'm sure...

Regardless, our friend will be moving in on a one-year lease w/option to buy, so we're all happy, he'll take good care of it and we'll visit.  At the moment I wouldn't mind getting the house back someday as this is where my kids started their lives and in countries like where I come from people don't move from house to house a lot.  Come to think of it, after my family fell apart going back to Argentina has always been bittersweet.  Fortunately for me the structures are still there and I can reminisce...  except for my saving grace - Sacred Heart school:  I heard it's gone, but will probably never verify it personally.

Ok, veered off enough, gotta go the west is calling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YESSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pup Shoots Man, Saves Litter Mates 9/9/2004 http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20040909111309990002   :-)

Newsflash

Florida:  all is well and all are well...  at least with my immediate, blood-related family.  Today I'll check up on friends if the phone lines permit it.

The impending move:  God is sooooo looking out for me...  Yesterday I went to show the guys at the dealership how the blinkers weren't working on the trailer and while driving there and back I noticed that the trailer tires did not look very happy...  So today I have to go by U-Haul to get the part to fix the blinkers, and to a place where they can weigh the trailer.  I really think hub overpacked it and it's just not normal to leave tire marks when I turn... 

Malachi:  My boy is going with us.  He's been a lot more tame, so maybe it will all work out.  Given that I'm virtually going alone, he'll be great for protection and then some...  So, it's me, 2 kids, 3 dogs, a fish and a snake.

Oh, the snake:  We found the cutest garden snake in the world.  So for now she's our new pet.  Jury is out on whether we will really bring her with us.  (I assume she's a she because she's very "she-ish")  Don't ask.

So I'll go now to feed the kids some "rapidoli" and get the trailer ready.  Will post more later...

G

Frankie

Frances is taking her sweet time.  For crying out loud, she's worse than me...!  I still don't know if I'll be driving West or Southeast...  I suppose as soon as I wake up I will have a better idea whether I should drive down to Fla. to help my "peeps" or drive to L.A. to our new home.  My guess is the damage assesment will be a call for me to drive down, after all my mom is there and, well... who cares why?  I feel a call so I follow it.  Some people don't understand it, but it makes perfect sense to me.

One thing I couldn't believe though...  Geraldo Rivera was reporting on Fox.  That guy is like the drunken aunt (or crazy grandma in my case) who manages to get in every single photo at a wedding...  no matter who's in it.  Ah, well, it's good for humor during a time with not much...

It's only 3am I know, but I have to get to bed early...  ;-)

G

 

In All Seriousness...

Amazing how things change in life (or at least in mine) from one minute to the next...  As of last night I decided to postpone going to Los Angeles until Frances is over.  Chances are I will probably put my supercape on (the one nobody else sees but me), hop on my SuperSUV and drive back down to where I once lived to try to help my parents with the aftermath.  At 74 and 83 I think they've lived through enough to have to do so much cleanup work -- and since the meds I'm on still have me on ManicPanic mode, I'm all energy.  As a matter of fact I didn't sleep last night.  I just did laundry.

I did break down this morning because of Frances...  I am frightened for those I love so much and all I can do is just sit here and wait...  My parents chose *not* to leave and will probably not go to a shelter either.  I do believe now it is their choice, although I wish it had been different, but I understand their point/s. 

(going to take a bath to try to relax -- will be back in a bit unless I'm asleep and drowning)

Ok, I'm back and refreshed and feeling like talking about my parent's choice.  I've already heard others' opinions and when I hear their side I am respectful of their wishes.  My mom has said that my step-dad is in no condition to drive and as far as she goes, not only does she hate/fear driving but the traffic getting out of Florida was just too much.  The shelters available to the area are only 2.  She said that with so many people (2.5 million) evacuating and trying to find shelter there would be no room and even though I tried to argue she then said that my dad would in no way stay at a shelter...  he's just too feisty...

One more point she had was the return home.  She doesn't like the uncertainty of your home's survival and what to expect when arriving... plus all that traffic again...

I had to agree.  Even if I hadn't agreed I would have solely based on the fact that at their age they should do as they please. 

God knows I love them and I fear, but that's my problem.

I think now I'll sign off and cry for a while...