The 'Home' Stretch

 

As is often the case these days, I was up early and ready to go. With a break between broadcasts, I could focus on the evolving mess that is the Mahopac house.

Two lacrosse games last night led to a day of working around the house in the blazing heat. There will be more lacrosse -- and more packing -- tomorrow.

Oh, there was a trip to the bank to get a check to move towards moving but, otherwise, it was all about what it's been all about: pack/throw away/repeat.

Yet today I was fortunate enough to have more help than just Laura and Sean. Don't get me wrong, we've all worked great together but it felt like we needed a different set of eyes.

So Kris was here and will be back on Monday.

So were Meaghan and Katie and Marshall.

I'm not going to deny it meant a lot to have them stop by for just a few hours, including a break for lunch. I've been preaching for everyone to come to the house and, now, the help is much-needed.

I've been rolling since the dumpster showed up last Monday and we've nearly filled it.

That's where I've struggled. I hate -- yes, that's the word -- the waste of throwing away perfectly good items. No, I'll never be confused with some tree-hugging lover of biodegradable this and sustainable that but I prefer to see things find a good home.

We did well getting rid of a lot of stuff but not even close to everything. We sold a lot. We gave some things away.

We still, sadly, had to throw a lot out.

For the most part, that process is now complete. Laura will return tomorrow to get some things and I'll load up a truck on Monday. I'm really hopeful that we'll have most it done that day and anything else will go in my car on Tuesday. I don't want to go crazy on Tuesday to finish.

My biggest concern about moving? It's not the fragile items or forgetting something. It's the four-legged freak with the black(ish) fur.

I know, I know. He'll meow and cry and hide and, yes, I've moved cats before. I've transported them before. But it tears at me, like hearing a child cry under various circumstances.

The rest of it stuff. It will sort itself out. I'm hoping to just get everything into the new place, sort through it all, set it up, and not need to use self-storage.

"I can't figure out how I'm going to react on Wednesday," I recently said.

"I do," came the reply, fully expecting me to have some deep emotions at some point.

I don't know, to be honest. The process -- the whole thing since 9/4/2020 -- has been a collection of mourning. We said goodbye to Mom and knew, basically right away, that the house would have to follow.

There are things that have kept both Laura and me from having any particular emotional moment. That's not to say there aren't brief interludes.

So, I really can't predict what it will be like when I drive away from here.

I expect to feel a great deal of relief when it's all over on Wednesday.