Monday, June 23, 2008

An Evening After the Rain in Chapel Hill



This is a post with at least a couple of notable firsts. The first being I am writing and posting this not from my usual position in front of my computer at home, but standing up at a kitchen counter in North Carolina. The kitchen counter is rented. It is included with the apartment my daughter will be paying for until the end of this month. It's an okay counter. The height is just right to type standing up. There's no table to spread out on anymore. One of her roomates found a job a couple of weeks ago and moved out lock stock, and table to Dallas, Texas. So my first real time long distance post delivery is done standing at a kitchen counter with Mikey the goldfish looking on with critical eye. I am not sure if he has a bemused look, or is he just making sure I don't get frantic with my typing and knock the poor bastard off the counter I am sharing with him. Either way, Mikey the goldfish is keeping close tabs on me.

The second notable first is I am using a lap top computer for the first and I hope the only time in my life. The keys are enough different that my normal comfort here is way out of whack. But I guess it's a good lap top. It's getting er done.

The trip down here from Maine was nowhere near as bad as I had built it up to be in my mind before we started. Truth be told, an uninteresting trip with nothing of real note happening. I don't think we even saw an accident. I ran into no characters worth mentioning. Every person out there on the I-95 was busy making it from point A to Point B. No histronics or fuss, just folks busy traveling.

Of course the events and anxieties of the pre trip gyrations yesterday morning certainly covered any concerns I had about missing out on the stress of traveling. All week previous I could feel the tension rising and the emotional controls being kicked into gear. The more I insisted I was taking it as it came, the screws became a tad tighter as I struggled to remember all the important crap to not forget for the trip. Trailer hitches, boxes, tape, packing paper, tarps, and last but no least those personal items like clothes, toothbrush and an extra pair of flip flops incase I suffer a blow out in the old pair. Good thing I made a list and checked it at least once before we left.

My wife became irritated yesterday morining. At whatever ungodly hour she wanted us to leave, found me not even in the same ballpark. Loading the truck up with all the moving supplies took 2 hours longer than I figured. I made sure what I took would make it through any precipitation might encounter. I was not even close to meeting her scedule. A perfect set-up for a rocky start. SHe got pissy. I got pissy back. I said if she was gonna be pissy, I would slow right down.

"You mean you can actually go slower? I did not think it was possible."

Well I showed her. If my normal turtle pace was not fast enough....... hey, packing into an open truck bed can be tricky if dry is what you are after.......Anyway, if she thought I was slow now, over the next hour, I proved I had lower speed limits I could maintain. We left around 8:30AM only 2 & 1/2 hours later than she had planned.

As it turns out, we made it just fine. Any pain we suffered was self inflicted. And in a few days, I get to repeat it, just in the opposite direction.

The Nun picture has nothing what so ever to do with this post.

Later.

8 comments:

amidnightrider said...

If you don't do something wrong on the way home, she just may bring up something from 1985. Mine does.

El Cerdo Ignatius said...

Whoooo, boy! You're a brave man, sir. Actually slowing down after threatening it, in reply to complaints about an already slow pace? Bold indeed.

Thankfully, my wife and I usually work out - after some discussion, debate, and light argument - our departure time for a road trip a day or two in advance. If it were up to me alone, I'd just get up and get going at my usual hour, after a proper breakfast - say, 8 a.m. But that would be "LATE" to my wife.

Let's just say I can relate, Mr. Macrum.

Have a good journey.

Anonymous said...

I may use the "slow down" comment myself. ;)

Gary ("Old Dude") said...

a most wonderfully sublime post-----I'm still chuckling over reading it. all that and a fishy stare---the poor sucker probabely will never know just how close to being extinguished he came-----

Bonnie said...

That could have been me and the hubby. And he would have slowed down too. Must be a man thing. Of course, us women never learn and egg you on for the next one. Enjoyed the blog. My SIL Missy said I should check you out, especially since I am a New Englander too (but married to a good ol' southern boy and yes I live in Florida, no snow to shovel).

goplacia said...

I might have barked at you to speed up as well, but its not worth frustration towards each other that is for sure. As you pointed out all pain here seems to self inflicted. I have been reading a book by Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth. Its a bit new age but some very interesting points and lessons to be found.

El Cerdo Ignatius said...

GJG: the poor sucker probably will never know just how close to being extinguished he came-----

Hahahahahahaha!! Exactly so!

Anonymous said...

Of course, if you're not careful, you may be doing anything and everything by yourself as the wife will not be there for you to aggravate.