Three Weeks and a Day

It's hard to believe. I feel like we've been here longer. 

Last Saturday we returned to Connecticut. We stayed with our friend Jen and her Westie Katie; it was great to visit with them. I also caught up with Cynthia.

I finished packing up the things we left in Connecticut,. hired my neighbor to clean, got a quote for carpet and hardwood floor cleaning, met with a realtor, reviewed a listing agreement, and managed to leave one of Jeff's canes at Jen's. 

It was so nice to come back here. To our new home home on Wednesday. Our new bedroom nightstands arrived--my brother Jim returned this weekend and obligingly assembled them for us. Our kitchen set arrived on Thursday. 

I returned to Schultz's Crabhouse for their famous sour beef and another time for their crabcake. We tried a new restaurant for Chinese takeout. We're slowly becoming familiar with people and the area. 

Eight Nights Here

It's been a blur.  Among ongoing unpacking, we had to replace our cell phones. The sound in my phone died unless I used the speaker. Jim came back yesterday and had already offered to hang pictures and hang with Jace while we furniture shopped. 

Well, we went to the phone store instead and were there for three-and-a-half hours. We had to wait for 45 minutes before our "appointment" started.  The good news is that we got new phones at a great price, saving us money every month. Jeff even got a watch. 

It's been a pattern. Everything we had to do was complicated. 

I keep reminding myself that we're making progress. It's slow and frustrating, but it's something.

Greetings from Essex, Maryland

Tomorrow will be a week from our official move-in date. At this time (6:58 PM) last Friday, Jeff and I were on the road somewhere in New Jersey. 

Last Friday was a long day even though the movers were great. I ended up leaving some things in Norwalk. I wasn't happy about that, but I couldn't have gotten out of the house in time to meet the movers at 8 AM the next morning. It was 2 when Jeff and I hit the road. We hit a lot of traffic, went through an area without hotel availability, and snagged the last room at a place in Bel Air, Maryland around 8 PM.

Since Saturday morning, it's been unpacking. And unpacking. And still more unpacking. I have the same challenge one of my neighbor described: we have so much room in our new kitchens compared to our old places. It's hard to decide where to put things (first world problems.) Having little furniture is also a challenge. Some of our clothes are hanging in the closet; some are stuffed in boxes. 

Everything is taking longer than I imagined. 

Now, for the positive. 

We had our new bed delivered Wednesday. 

Today, we bought a kitchen set (table and four chairs) to be delivered in almost three weeks.

Our neighbors have been welcoming and helpful. .

Jace and I are enjoying the trails here. 

I keep repeating, "I can't believe I live here." It's beautiful.