Home Sweet Home

Well we're here!! In our house!! Again, we are renting, but it really feels like it's ours!

We could not have done it without all the help we had! 4 of hubby's students, a fellow staffer, and a friend of mine all came to help us load and unload and it went so smoothly!! And one of my coworkers took the dog for the day so he wouldn't be too worked up. The cats stayed in their crates most of the day but seem to be adjusting quite well now that they are free. I still can't believe how smooth it all went!

I will post pics of the interior as soon as we are done setting everything up!

Horrible, Awful, No Good, Very Bad Dream!

I woke up in a panic today after the dream I was having. I'm not sure whose house I was in, but it was stormy outside and my two cats were there with me along with 2 other people I don't know. Well anyhow, at some point in the dream the door to the house was left open a crack and my oldest cat Cleo escaped. I darted after her and when I looked down from the porch to the yard she had fallen into a deep puddle. The next thing I knew I was literally swimming through puddles trying to rescue my drowning cat. It was horrible! I couldn't find her or see her anywhere. Don't ask me what kind of monsoon I was in that I could swim through puddles, I should have known right away it was just a dream.

At this point I was screaming for help but no one could hear me or the ignored me or something, I don't know. So I make it out of the deepest puddles ever and I start to hear a scared and soft "Meow" coming from underneath the house next door, I call her name and "meow" back at her and she darts past me into the house. I was so relieved that I almost didn't believe it was her. I ran in after her yelling "Is it her? Is it her?" She ran into a back room in the house and I went after her and there sat my husband playing video games with someone I had never seen before. I was furious in the dream! I have been in an utter panic and he was playing video games?!?!? Now, I know in real life he would be out there with me search ing for Cleo, but I was flabbergasted that he wasn't in my dream! About this time I woke up, still shaken up. I was completely calmed however when I realized my sweet little Cleo was sleeping soundly on my head, yes my head. She tends to make room for herself on my pillow. :)

I've had Cleo for more than five years now and I am seriously attached to her. We got her in 2005 when she was just barely 8 weeks old from a shelter in Memphis. She was with me when Ken went away for the summer to work in Oklahoma and I was living alone. She knows when I am sad or sick and just curls up on my chest with her head on my shoulder. It may sound crazy but she gets me and I get her. I love this kitty!

Cleo came to work with me after we first adopted her.

Look at those big ears!

I know she won't live forever but I am not sure what I will do when her time comes. I know it is years away, at least I hope it is, but every now and then I wonder how I will cope with that. She is my first child. I love my girl!

The first snow!

And man was it a doozy! In fact, it still is! The snow began to fall yesterday and has continued ever since, breaking the more than 100 year old record for the earliest snowfall here! In State College there was anywhere from 4-8 inches and we got at least 2 in Bellefonte (I'm guessing about Bellefonte, the State College numbers were on the news). I had to post tonight to document my experiences!

So in Memphis, this would be like a natural disaster. Everything would be closed and the grocery store would be without bottled water and milk! But here, it's basically business as usual. Schools were delayed but the only ones cancelled were those with no power due to tree limbs falling. That's the bad news, because it's so early the trees still have leaves and the snow made them VERY heavy and dangerous! The good news is that I'm in an area that knows what they're doing! Yesterday I just hibernated and stayed inside with the cats. Didn't have to work so I just cleaned the kitchen and read and watched the TV shows I missed the night before since I went to the show at PSU. Today however, I had to go to work which meant avoiding the roads wasn't gonna happen!

I left super early giving myself more than double the amount of time it normally takes. I got my brand new heavy duty mother-of-all ice/snow scrapers out and cleared off my car and headed in to work. The roads were fine! I still took it slow just to make sure but this is nothing like driving in snow in Memphis. The snow had been plowed and the roads were salted. The drive was not as nerve racking as I thought it would be, thank goodness! At work, several customers commented on the snow and when I mentioned being from the south they were all very kind offering good advice and telling me not to worry, it's not always like this. The drive home was the same, clear roads and easy going.

The only driving obstacle I'm genuinely concerned about is up and down hill. I have driven in icy conditions and I have gotten myself out of skids before (driving from Memphis to Cincinnati in an ice storm comes to mind) but I am not AT ALL used to so many hills and the idea of an icy hill kind of terrifies me. People suggest going to an empty parking lot to practice, but those are all basically flat. I'm gonna have to tackle this fear sooner or later and when I do low drive will be my best friend. Any other advice out there, I'll take it!

Oh, I nearly forgot! My other favorite part of this "snow storm"- Cleo the kitty's reaction! She sat at the back doors yesterday staring at the snow and crying to go outside (where she is only allowed if in a harness and on a leash). I finally decided to let her check it out. I bundled up and got her in her gear and opened the door she was so longingly gazing out. At one point you could see her trying to catch snow flakes through the glass. After opening the door, she looked out and after a glance in each direction, she promptly ran away from the door and snow and never went back! I undid her leash and harness and she spent the rest of the day hibernating with me. I had to get a picture.

On the Move

I'm sitting at my in laws in Cincinnati tonight. We did the first leg of the trip yesterday and will finish the trek tomorrow. We expect to be in Bellefonte, PA by 5pm.

We originally reserved a 16 foot Penske truck. After my hubby did some measuring and tetris-like arranging on his computer screen (in scale) we realized that would hold our furniture and none of our boxes. We promptly called and switched to the 22 foot truck! And it was a good thing we did because it is packed full!! I'm SOOOOO glad I went to the vet with the kitties to get them drugs for the ride. I don't really like the idea of drugging my animals, but it was definitely the right thing to do in this situation. They were so calm and slept for most of the ride here. You can see pictures of them in there stupor on my facebook page. Poor things! They were like Cheech and Chong! Tomorrow they will get another dose and hopefully they will sleep again and wake up in their new home!

We had a bit of a vacation day in Ohio today. We went to the National Air Force Museum (pics to come on the Facebook) and to Young's Jersey Dairy- they make all of their own ice cream with cream from the cows right there on the farm! It was very cool and very yummy, but we had WAY too much! Then we went to our nephews football practice (he's 6) and to dinner with the fam. It was a good day, but I am beat now!! The good news is that I will sleep well again before our early start tomorrow!

Overwhelming

There is so much to do and so little time!! I'm not even sure where to start! I've reserved our Penske truck for the move and I've tagged most of the yard sale stuff. I am hoping that after the sale on Saturday I'll be able to get a better grasp on what needs to be boxed up for the move! I'm also in the process of trying to get my cats more comfortable with the idea of being in the car. Cleo actually went for a ride the other day and did pretty well. She was vocal, but she was ok. Rosco however is scared to even go outside much less get in the car! We have an appointment with the vet next week to get them some calming meds for the trip. I hate to drug them but I would hate even more for them to be completely miserable!

It's weird because we leave on Sept. 1st so it seems like I have some time to get things done but when I looked at my calendar I actually only have about 3 days. I'm going to Vegas with friends next weekend and I am working full time all the way through Thursday, not to mention my part time job at the Fairfield Inn (there go my evenings!)...

So, I am feeling like I don't know how to get it all done. I need a checklist and more hours in the day would be great! The hubby has been working late for the last couple of weeks but he'll have a bit more time now to help which will also be a big help. It's easier to stay motivated when you have someone to keep you going!!

The good news is that we found a really cute townhouse in Pennsylvania!! It's 2 bedrooms and the kitchen looks REALLY nice!! So now it's time to get us there and get settled! Wish us luck!! The adventure continues!

I wanted an adventure...

And it looks like I'm getting one!

In three weeks my husband and I will be on our way to Pennsylvania with a Budget Truck and two very unhappy kitties. The husband got a WONDERFUL new job at Penn State! We are so excited but that means LOTS to do in just three weeks!

First step is to de-clutter!

Moving that far means cleaning out stuff that is unnecessary and having a yard sale. There's enough to move with just the necessities so I'm going to try VERY hard to not be a pack rat. Anyone who knows me knows I save a lot of junk. I can't help it that I want to save every party cup I ever painted in college!!

Step 2- Find an apartment IN PENNSYLVANIA!!

Not an easy task when you're in Tennessee and don't actually know anyone where you're moving! And it's a college town which means every apartment complex I've found is already fully rented for the year. Ugh. The good news is that I got in touch with a realtor today and they are going to see how they can help us find a place. Fingers crossed!

Next I figure out the best way to get my two sweet kitty cats to Pennsylvania without scarring them for life.

I am not above drugging them a little if it will make 14 hours in the car easier on their sensitive tummies and moods! I'm hoping to start taking them for little car rides here and there this week to help them adjust a little. Wish me luck!

And of course, find a job for me!

I'm hoping that my working part time at a hotel here will transfer nicely to a hotel there. That will at least give me something until I find my true calling!!

So here we go! I'm collecting boxes and I've already started packing things up for the big move. Everyone keeps warning me about the snow and I'm not sure how to prepare for a winter like I've never known but hopefully I'll have some time to ease into it. I'm excited about fall in Pennsylvania. Surely the leaves change there and I will really experience autumn like I never have before. This is all very exciting for us! And get this, it's illegal to NOT recycle there!! I kind of love that!! We're excited about moving somewhere that really cares about their town and the area. It will definitely be a change from Memphis!!

So stay tuned to see how this Southern girl survives up north!!