The Final Push

I'm almost too tired to blog. After a month off for Pesach and packing, I'm back at work---and still trying to tie up the lose ends, eliminate household clutter, arrange recovery of refinished antiques for shippping and ridding ourselves of other furniture, gym items, old-but-usable jackets, excess kitchenware, etc. before the packers come.

The Husband leaves a week from Monday for Israel. He's in charge of two footlockers, a suitcase, two cats and a dog. The logistics of moving the animals to Israel isn't rocket science, but it is nerve-wracking. He's terribly afraid the airline will misplace them. His job is to settle into the furnished apartment and get everything up and running and the pets acclimated.

The packers come the next day. Everything left in the home will be packed and shipped to storage except for a couch and chair (destined for a friend) two lamps (destined for another friend) two mattresses (destined for the dump) with old, toss-away linens, and a television (destined for another friend) and Goodwill-bound cookware. Since the house was sold with the appliances, I still get to cook and microwave, and serve on paper and plastic. Something like camping, but indoors with TV. The computer stays for a while---the Boy can't do homework or pick up assignments without it. I'm still trying to figure out how to get it safely to Israel---will it survive, heavily wrapped, in the footlocker or should I pack it in my suitcase as carry on (just the tower)?

But the best part is that I'm retired as of May 19th--in time to take the Husband to the airport and supervise packing---and then I'm a FT mom for the first time in my life! I'm looking forward to the FT Mom gig--I just am not thrilled about the FT SINGLE mom part I play for the next month after the Husband leaves. "Do I have to speak to your father?" doesn't really carry the immediate threat it has now if Abba is 10,000 miles away. But I won't be bored--lots of people are arranging lunch/coffee meets to say good-bye.

I've arranged the internet banking options, started transferring the credit cards to on-line pay options (yes, I know the rest of the world has been paying on-line for a decade, but I'm very old fashioned and not good at this new-fangled stuff).

Then it's just me and the Boy--no husband/father, no cats, no dog and not much else. It will be a quiet but barren existence until school gets out. Then, I pick up the Boy at school around noon, he says his good-byes and gets his yearbook signed...and then we're On The Road. One night in Bakersfield to say 'farewell' to the world's best sister-in-law (BTW, Yael, did I tell you we're camping with you the night of the 14th? Got room? ) Then on to LA the next day for a farewell round of visits with the cousins and good friends.

Then on June 19th, G-d willing, we come home.