I must first apologize for my serious neglect of this blog. It’s been more than a month since I posted, but do not be fooled that nothing is going on. In fact, I’d be very happy to settle into nothing going on.

Let’s start from the top.

As most of you know, I attended the RWA National Conference in Florida at the end of last month. My first trip to Disney World was a little hotter than I’d have liked, but I rode the Pirates of the Caribbean ride (quite lame actually) and a few other things. My real quest was just to be there. To see Cinderella’s Castle and that giant ball in Epcot and the famous rides in the Hollywood park. I did all of those things and a bit more, so I declare that part of the trip a success.

As for the other part of the trip, the whole reason this lovely excursion is tax deductible, that was a success as well. I pitched both my erotic romance short story and my full-length Contemporary Single Title, receivingd full requests on both. Though both need a bit of work before they can go whirling through cyberspace, I’m proud of them and feeling good about their chances. And there’s always the extensive query-palooza coming up this fall, so no tears if these come back as rejections.

About the house. THAT has been the real roller coaster ride, which everyone said it would be. One week we’re trucking along with everything running smooth, the next week everything grinds to a halt and the road turns bumpy to the point of hitting giant speed bumps and if not stop signs, then the Yield ones.

Now that I’ve killed that metaphor, suffice it to say, we’re back to moving right along. A bit of last minute renegotiating had to happen and we’re waiting for one final signature, but that should arrive any minute and then we’re back in business. Closing should be next Monday, though I’m ready for just about anything between now and then.

Kiddo’s forced exile will wrap up in less than three weeks, or maybe soon. She’s debating coming home early and I’m crossing my fingers she does. I’m more than ready for her to be home. In addition to missing her like crazy and needing her food police expertise to get me back on track, I need help packing this crap up!

School supplies are purchased, large bags of clothes are ready for charity, and the mad rush of scheduling movers and address/utility forwarding should commence next week. I’ll try to do better and post in the middle of the chaos, and promise if all goes well, I’ll have “after” pictures of the new place by this time next month.

Any tips on moving, sending a kiddo off to middle school, or adding more hours to the day? All input welcome and encouraged!

PS: As if you couldn’t tell, changed the look of the blog again. I think this is my favorite so far. What do you think?

I’m pretty sure I am now a professional packer. In less than a week, I’ve packed nearly everything I own. My living room is now a fall out shelter for empty book shelves and hundreds of boxes. And I’m pretty sure if the Guinness Book of World Records was looking for the house with the most dust, our house would win hands down. Can we say allergies?!

Since I like to think that every experience teaches us something, here’s a list of what packing in one week or less has taught me.

1. I have entirely too much stuff.
2. Stuff multiplies faster than bunnies.
3. Stuff that seemed important the last time I moved has lost all importance.
4. It’s not as hard to part with stuff as you’d think.
5. It’s fun to find old stuff you didn’t know you had.
6. It’s odd to find things you don’t know why you have.
7. Dust accumulates faster than stuff.
8. Purging is liberating.
9. Kids are NOT enthused packers.
And most importantly…
10. You can pack an entire apartment in less than a week!

Tune in next week when I whine about finding a home in the new place for all the stuff I decided to keep.

For the question of the day, we’re talking pictures. I’ve found pictures that date back more than 20 years in all this cleaning and packing. Memories I’d long forgotten. I now realize I need to organize all of these things into some kind of system. Do you have boxes or books filled with pictures? How do you organize them? And where do you keep them?

So for some reason this weekend I decided I didn’t have enough going on in my life. In some moment of enlightenment (or possibly insanity), I decided to move. By the end of the month. Actually, I’m moving in two weeks. That’s right, on top of planning a company holiday party, an RWA chapter conference, finishing the current quarter of college courses, working full time and chasing around a 9 year old, I’m moving. Why, you ask? Because I can.

I’ve lived in my apartment for three years now. Every September I fill out the paperwork to renew my lease and stay put. Now, I like my apartment. It’s a little small but the kiddo and I don’t need much. It’s clean and comes with a dishwasher and central heat & air – the two things required for any abode of mine. But on the downside, it’s on the third floor, it’s twenty miles from work and even further from some of my friends. So when I found a letter stuck in my door last Thursday night that I had to be out by September 30th, I was totally shocked….at first.

But then I got mad. First of all, how do you give a 26 day 30-day notice? Then when I finally reached someone in the office after 10am the next day, it was explained that they just use these letters to terrify tenants into turning in their paperwork. Yes, terrify is the word she used. WTF?! Why can’t they just put a letter in the door that says we really need your paperwork in the next few days or we may have to terminate your lease? Wouldn’t that be a much better approach?

So, I decided to call their bluff. And from all the signs, I’d say it was meant to be. A co-worker suggested I check out a complex where she used to live that is in the best school district in Virginia Beach. The place usually has a waiting list but as of Friday they had one apartment available before the end of this month. I went to see it that afternoon and turned in all my deposits today. I get the keys on the 19th and I’ll move in on the 20th. That’s right, I’m moving in TWO FREAKING WEEKS!

This means manic packing. Right now I’m working on clearing out everything that either goes in the dumpster or to the charity store. I’m bringing boxes home from work tomorrow and I’ll start packing all the books and knick knacks (or what-nots depending on where you live). I’ll clear out my closet and the clothes in my drawers by the weekend and from there I’ll just have to pack the stuff in the kitchen.

But the best part about this is how excited my friends are that I’m moving closer to them. And how many of them keep telling me I’m not doing this alone. I guess I’m even more blessed than I knew.

I love change. I thrive on change. I need change. As proof, let me give you a timeline of my relocations since high school graduation. These are years in which I either moved across town or across states but they all signify a major change.

1990 – Ohio to Pennsylvania (ok, it was 45 minutes from home but it counts)
1993 – moved across Pittsburgh
1994 – Pennsylvania to Tennessee
1995 – moved across Nashville
1997 – Tennessee to Arkansas (don’t hold it against me)
1998 – moved across Perry County
2001 – Perry County to Conway County
2004 – Arkansas to Virginia
2005 – moved to current apartment in Virginia

Now, you may notice a pattern here. The last time I moved was 2005. Which means I’m due for a move this year. But as mentioned in the previous blog, I’ve decided NOT to move. However, the urge is still there. The little gypsy soul in me is not liking this stay put thing. So, I’m trying little changes to appease the nomad.

As mentioned, we’re starting with paint. I’m picking up tons of those little paint cards and I need to tape them on the walls so I can see what I want to do. It’s tough. I’ve never actually made a paint decision before. Have I mentioned my struggle with commitment? No? Well, that will have to be a blog for another day.

I’m also moving furniture around. My living room is quite small and I’ve somehow managed to accumulate more crap than I can fit. Which is strange since when I moved into this apartment, I had two beds, one end table, a couple of bookshelves and an entertainment center. Right now I’m running on tiny spurts of motivation which has resulted in three pieces of furniture moved and my couch just hanging in the middle of the room. Here’s hoping I get more motivation soon.

There are also plans to move a couple of pieces in my bedroom (again) and possibly make a major purchase. Hey, I’ve had this little television of mine since 1996. I’m entitled to a new one and in this day and age, why buy a 70lb old-fashioned monster when you can buy a flat panel? That picture above may be taking up residence in my home very soon. *g*