Saying Goodbye

I'm very busy doing all the things I'm supposed to be doing before making a big move. This includes sharing lunches, dinners, and goodbyes. It started with an informal happy hour, progressed to a night out with friends, led to a dinner party, and is ending with me sharing every meal with someone. Under normal circumstances this would be great...there is nothing I love more than food and friends. However, this is starting to get depressing. I know that some of these people I will never see again. That is hard to grasp...particularly those that have had such an incredible impact on my life. What is worse is trying to express my feelings. I try to be serious, and people just turn it into a joke. I'm trying to figure out if goodbyes are just awkward, or if I'm just not the type of person people want to be serious with. Is this something I should change? Seriously, is it me?

Either way, to everyone in the Hoosier State: thank you. If you have found your way here, you have impacted me in some way. I will miss you dearly and I hope you understand that my biggest stress in all of this is that I won't have easy access to all of you. To the Minnesotans out there: you have big shoes to fill, but I look forward to getting to know everyone.

Feeling strangely sentimental this evening...

If I never...

If I never see another late model Cadillac, I'll be cool. Particularly a late model Cadillac who's rims and speakers make up 96% of the owner's net worth (ouch, that was judgmental). You see, my Indianapolis home is right on the edge of the 'hood. Its location presents a strange mix of "hooptie rides," and really nice yuppie cars. Today, on my way home from lunch with Jen, I was surrounded by an uncharacteristically large number of "Caddy Daddys." I won't miss them. I also won't miss being called a tall, vanilla treat.

No. I'm serious. You can't make this stuff up.

Taking Care of Business

There seems to be more and more work piling on my desk now that I've officially made the announcement that I'm moving. I would like to take more time to focus on the big "job search," but time is something I seem to be a little short of these days. Sometime in the next week and a half, I need to accomplish the following (among other things):

• Renew my driver's license to maintain Indiana residency (must be done during office hours...very inconvenient).
• I have already renewed my license plates online, but the new tags will likely be sent to my dad's address...need to arrange to pick them up or have them mailed quickly enough to arrive before I leave.
• Finish the big "Goodwill purge" and take the resulting trash bags (three thus far) to the donation center during collection hours (again, very inconvenient).
• Finish packing the kitchen. This will require another trip to the warehouse to track down the rest of Renee's kitchen supplies to replace what I am taking. These warehouse trips are usually an hour standing in the cold, poorly lit warehouse...gross.
• Pack the remainder of my clothes. I have a lot. I am completely unwilling to give any more away at this time.
• Disassemble my bed and move my bedroom furniture to the warehouse. It is all big, heavy, and real wood...Oy.
• Return all the things I have borrowed.
  
• Go out to dinner/lunch with everyone I am going to miss (my social calendar has filled quite quickly).
• Figure out what the heck is still going on with my teeth before I move away from my surgeon.
• Take an inventory of what stuff really needs to go with me now and what stuff will remain boxed in the garage for a while.
  
• Take down my Christmas Tree (hey, to my own credit I already have all of the ornaments and decorations off and stored).
• Get about a million finance applications out the door for the office.
• Sign a PA on ONE MORE house.
• Clear out the office laptop of all personal business (backup my own photos and contacts, etc).
• Organize the office files so that someone else could actually figure out my systems.
• Leave some sort of a how-to manual (probably a week of writing in itself).
• Update the sales workbook so it makes sense.
• File all of the important emails I have by subject to be used as reference for the poor person who replaces me...I have thousands of emails with pertinent client and project information.
• Get a new phone with a Minneapolis number so I seem legit to prospective employers.
  
• Pick Mike's brain on Minneapolis contacts so I have a chance of getting a job.
• Try to see my family before I go. I will miss them terribly.

Well, at least the dog has been groomed, and my oil has been changed. That's two things done, right?

I'm overwhelmed.

Packing Up!

I've come to find that packing for this little journey is tough for Baylee (my fur-baby) too! On one trip back from Minneapolis we stopped at a gas station so I could fill up and she could have a potty break, but the pavement was so cold she tried walking only on three legs, alternating which foot she kept elevated for warmth. I felt so bad and knew that it would probably get worse.

Yesterday, while wandering PetSmart waiting for her grooming appointment to finish, I came upon these little doggy boots in size extra small. They were on sale for half price, so I figured it was worth a shot. We picked up a matching sweater (hey, it was on sale too!) and headed home to try them on.

Baylee likes to dress up. I kid you not, this spoiled dog likes to put on her coats, sweaters, new collars...she just likes to be cute. The boots were no exception. She just kind of rolled over and put her feet in the air. Anyway, the boots were insanely cute and funny, but we need to practice our walk. This video was taken after she had gotten over the initial shock:

As you can see, we still have some work to do. Still, she's ready for the "negative degree" temperatures and I got a very good laugh out of her misery.

Now I get to spend the rest of my day preparing for the next journey. I need an oil change, to take a load of clothes to the cleaner, another load to Goodwill, and pack up the remaining kitchen items. Wish me luck!