Eaten Alive, Part II

Spring semester and finals week officially over
Graduation Day

A year ago on this day I graduated with my MFA, as several of my friends and colleagues are doing today. That night, I got white-girl drunk with Daisy at the graduation party, and we didn't come home until after 2AM.


A year later, I am busy cleaning up and boxing up my house in preparation for a move to Omaha in four days. Tonight will be the last real night of sleep I get alone here in this house, in my normal bed in its normal spot, ever. Tomorrow night I drive the car up to Omaha, Sunday night Daisy and I will sleep quickly once we come back down here, and by Monday night the bed will already be loaded into the truck. By Tuesday night it'll be set up in the new place.

Yesterday afternoon, as I had (and still have) very little in the house to eat, since I don't want to have to take anything with me that's unnecessary, I drove over to Meridian again to get some stuff to munch on over the course of the next few days. I ended up getting some snacks and a couple bowls of instant noodle soup, some microwave popcorn, etc. It was the last time I'll get to shop over there, and ironically they had a ton of stuff I would've gotten were I not moving out of this house in a few days. I kept myself under control, and only got the bare necessities. I did not end up getting any more K-cups, as I have a ton of the tea ones already and the coffee ones were the same price there as they are in grocery stores/Walmart. I topped off my gas tank on the way home so that the car would be ready for its nighttime drive to Omaha, and this afternoon I will refill it with oil and coolant to make sure it's completely ready to go.

As the week rolls on, the house is beginning to look more and more like a mess, though a well-organized mess. There are boxes and furniture everywhere, dust and dirt (which needs to be cleaned) has been fully exposed, and the cats give me more quizzical looks by the day. Today I have the wonderful duty of trying to pre-vacuum what I can before we bring down the good vacuum, washing the sheets and blankets, and boxing up some of the last remaining things that I won't use between now and Monday. There's also a good bit of trash I need to take out, as well, and I need to ready the cat carriers and wash their spare litter pans. Task after task after task, most of which just has to be done one after another after another.

I sent my landlord an email this afternoon detailing the timeframe of the moving so that he can free up some time on Tuesday to come over and do his final walkthrough, pick up the keys and see us on our way, etc. Last night I also wrote out a detailed, itemized list of not only things I've done to help out in regards to repairs and other issues, but things that need to be worked on or fixed (so that he doesn't have to discover them all himself, and so he knows I'm on top of things and not trying to hide anything from him). Daisy said that was really sweet of me -- and it is, probably, more than most renters would do -- but I want to be fully transparent with the landlord and his wife as they've been so good to me over the years. I'll leave this house in much better condition than a lot of other renters leave places, that's for damn sure, even with whatever gripes or arched eyebrows they may have about any number of little things they could take off for from my security deposit.

I'm constantly tired, folks. It feels like I can never get enough sleep and I can never get enough things done. I haven't showered in two days because, well, if I'm going to get all dirty, dusty, and sweaty while cleaning and packing anyway, what's the point? The shower, at least, is already clean, but few other things are. I can't do much about it. I've basically packed up everything already that won't be used in the next 72 hours; I can't pack up the rest until Monday or I will be, quite literally, sitting here with absolutely nothing else to do. I can't unhook the TV or I will have no TV. I can't unhook the computer, or I will have no computer. I can't unhook the microwave, coffee pot, or pack up the lamps, or I'll have no way to cook my food, make coffee, or see the food and the coffee I'd be making and eating/drinking. I can't unhook and clean off my fans to stick in a box because otherwise there's no air circulating in the house. It's maddening when there's stuff that needs to be done but it can't be done yet -- or until literally the last day I'm here.

Daisy is taking off tomorrow night as well, so that she can finish moving her own stuff over to the new place, something that's been stressing her out like crazy because she hasn't had enough time to do so. That means I'll be able to drive up there earlier than the middle of the night (probably in the early evening), we'd both be able to sleep normal hours tomorrow night, and we could come back down here earlier than the late-night hours on Sunday (meaning we could sleep on Sunday night instead of getting up in the evening, driving back down here, and immediately working for like 24-48 hours straight) -- all of this would be wonderful in regards to the timing of both of our moves, and I wouldn't have to worry about getting stranded in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night if something happens to the car (which I doubt will happen, but still). It also means I don't have to force myself to stay awake tonight in the overnight hours until the point of absolute exhaustion just so I can rest enough tomorrow before the drive.

My allergies have been going nuts today; it's because it's only in the 50s and it's overcast/rainy. They're probably not helped by all the dust I'm kicking up in the house, either, while I'm packing/cleaning/vacuuming.