That is Kinda What it Feels Like

Have you ever made a big move?  You know that point in the move when you have packed up most of the stuff you don't really use, but you still need to function in the house so the "essentials" are out?  But then all of a sudden, before you are ready for it, the moving truck is in your driveway, most of the boxes are out in the truck, and you look around and there is stuff left? Everywhere.  So you grab a box, or a bag, or anything that can hold something and start a mad dash going around the house grabbing anything that is left and throwing it in said item holder? And this almost always happens past the time that you wanted to be out of the house.

That is where we are in our journey.

Or at least that is the closest I can come to trying to help non-military understand the atmosphere that surrounds us right now. 

It kinda feels like that.

We had a "soft" deadline to have everything on the "To-Do-Before-J-Leaves" list completed before we leave for Disney World.  We leave Thursday. 

We are now re-evaluating the list, which is really evaluation number 106, to see what really, really, really needs to get done. 

We have done a great job overall.  Most of our Army paperwork has been updated, uploaded, and copied.  We spent a morning on the base covering "our bases".  We got the big items out the way.  Could I take down Ellee's toddler bed (which used to be her crib), and build a new bed, and lug mattresses upstairs?  Sure.  Is that something I want to have on my list while trying to do it all in the Fall?  Nope.  Same with the ailing tree in the front yard.  Well, mother nature actually helped move us along on getting that taken care of when she split it and dropped it on our front yard.  But all of the the trees, front and back, have been trimmed back or taken down.   Something I won't have to have in the back of my mind after I start my school year.  Oh, and I learned how to cut the animals nails.  This task will prove to be difficult for me I think. 

The last two days have met us here in Georgia with rain.  We need the rain actually, but that didn't mean it didn't mess up a few of our plans.  But it also forced us to look at the to-do list and prioritize.  We actually accomplished quite a bit around the house.  Jacob takes care of so much that I never even give a second thought to, except now, I will have to.  Who does the gutters?  Who do I contact to get my car worked on?  Who do we use for plumbing?  Where do we keep the oil for the lawn mower?  We went through his desk (which is really a large corner desk, taking up like 1/8 of our basement, perfect for gaming or so he says).  We organized it, and put paperwork in places I can find.  I may not even mind using that area to do some of the house work that will need to be done.  We reorganized the tool bench area too.  I am capable of home improvement but have been spoiled for so long not having to do really any of it.  I now feel secure in being able to find most of the tools I will need. 

The moving analogy came to me while we were taking bags upon bags out of the house.  Some to the trash, most set out for donation. We have made two trips to Goodwill in the last two days, plus multiple other organizations if we knew they could use some of this stuff.   As I loaded a bag full of random stuff I was taken back to the moment of panic as Jacob and I were moving out of our first apartment together which was in Kalamazoo, Michigan and we were set out for Atlanta, Georgia.  We had rented a U-Haul and took everything out and it was getting dark, and cold (it was Michigan), and I was going around the house frantically throwing whatever was left in a large trash bag.  We, of course, were running over an hour behind when wanted to be on the road.  And I thought that is kinda what it feels like.

We are frantically trying to finish the to-do list and we are already behind.  It is no longer happening in a linear, organized fashion, but a throw it all in and we will sort it out when it is over.

Yeah.  That is kinda what is feels like.