Holy Schnikies, I'm Finally Back!

Oh. My. God. Does it feel good to finally be back online. It has taken over a week, but I officially have internet, phone, and satellite TV. I have missed reading all of your blogs and also, blogging about my new adventures! I have so much to catch up on, so if you start seeing comments to posts from a week ago, that would be me trying to play catch-up!

This is now my view every morning! My grandparents ranch.

So, first off, my move went relatively smoothly. Oddly enough, for a month, Sacramento (and most of California) was enjoying nice weather. Some days it was near 70! Not that I'm rubbing it in to the poor folks from the mid-west on eastward with their blizzard conditions. But, because my luck is ever so wonderful, the storms hit the very weekend I was to move to Sticksville, USA. I was also in massive panic mode, as the week of moving showed up, my two helpers unceremoniously backed out. I was even ignored by some people when I asked for their help, even though they had previously offered me help. Whatever. I begged and pleaded and managed to find one guy to help with the heavy lifting. Bless his soul, he was awesome.

My mom came down the day before the move to help me with cleaning and organizing. We ran several errands amidst a torrential downpour that lasted the entire day. She gave me my Valentine's present, part of which was a gift card to Barnes & Noble. I laughed when I saw it, as I had spent a small fortune there the day before on the damned books I've become addicted to, thanks to my co-worker. The gift card would have been tremendously helpful a wee bit earlier, but now I have it for future use.

We were able to load all my crap just before the rains hit. I bought my parents lunch from In-N-Out. I would have bought my helper lunch, but he could only stay two hours, and was gone before we were all done. My parents and I drove to Redding to break for the night. We went to visit my Granddad in rehab. I previously wrote a rant regarding my Granddad being in the hospital - they finally had him moved to a rehab facility to help regain some upper body strength. He was looking pretty good, and Granny treated me and my parents to pizza after our visit.


The next morning, a Saturday, dawned with more bad weather. We had checked the traffic cameras, and chains were required in many areas. On our way out of town, I bought chains for my car, seeing as how I should have them just in case anyway, considering I'm moving to Snow Central. The first mountain pass we conquered had us all stressed out. I'm wholly familiar with the roads we were driving, as I grew up with them. However, I did not grow up driving them in winter conditions. I followed my parents (who were hauling the trailer) the entire trip up the mountains. Suffice it say we were quite worried about the remaining three passes to drive after the first. We hit snow much earlier than anticipated, and we soon reached the point where it was seriously sticking to the roads. My car slipped once, and my dad's trailer did once as well.


Fortunately, for us, the remaining passes were completely clear with beautiful weather. We were two hours behind schedule however, and the "muscle" that was going to assist in unloading was attending a funeral by the time we arrived. But we got it all unloaded.


Between my grandmother, and my parents, we were able to get my bed frame put together and my kitchen relatively put together. I still have a few boxes of miscellaneous crap that I'm still not sure where to put, but in time I shall persevere and find it all a home. Even that home is a trash can.


I have officially been away from my old job for two weeks and three days. The knot in my right shoulder that I thought had made a permanent home, is now gone. You have no idea how bad that knot was. Just ask my mother as she's had to work it out. Plus, I'm sleeping better . . . albeit a wee bit colder. Thank God for electric blankets! While I miss my co-workers and talking to them, I don't miss the stress I had. I have been informed, however, that the gal that started on my final night, quit after about a week or so. While I fully sympathize for my old co-workers as I know staffing-wise they are not up to snuff, I don't envy them.


I will be posting pics in future posts. This is just to let y'all know that I am alive and well and happy in my new abode! I really have missed reading your stuff and getting your comments. I never realize how much I miss the blogosphere until I'm forced away from it. I did have internet access at my grandparents place, but they'd been told that blogging sites can sometimes invite viruses or other such atrocities to one's computer so they asked me not to blog. Now that I am officially online at my place, I'm free to blog on my laptop!

This is for Jewels - every time I see icicles I think of you! lol