Let the Show Begin

I am now, officially, no fooling, about to embark on this adventure. Not because I sold my car, or garage sale-ed or gave away 85% of my posessions, or bought my plane ticket, or lived out of Container Store bins all summer, or talked about it and told you all I was going to for over a year. Which is all true, of course. But because while I pack away the 14% that is to stay behind, I've got Shrek playing in the background. I occasionally had Shrek going when I used to clean Brockenborings, the Montana house. I had Shrek going when I stained those *^$)#(*$ bookshelves, and when I loaded the then-brand-new-to-me Sophie at 1 in the morning to drive to Oregon for Christmas 6 days after surgery, on crutches, with my leg in an aircast. I had it running several times as I unpacked and repacked the house before I moved to California, and it was on NBC both times I packed for my European trips (England/Ireland in April, and Spain in May). And again when I moved into the church apartment, and Jen and I had it going when we painted the living room, and again when we moved to Alma Street, and again when I moved out. And that doesn't count all the times any of the kids had it going for their own reasons. It is the official "moving, rearranging, or otherwise setting-life-to-rights" background music. Because for all that, I don't think I've actually SEEN Shrek for several years, maybe even since it came out; it just runs, and I listen in occasionally, and laugh at the funny bits I happen to be in the room for (or don't have the vacuum running over). It's more for... the fact that it is now, for better or worse, a traditional part of the moving process, a constant little port in a very changable storm. Come to think of it, Shrek is probably the one constant I've had over the past few years. Imagine that: a fun, funky little movie-as-life-anchor, and for someone who hates TV!

Rolling along towards the goal of being "ready to leave" by October 12, which, if accomplished, would not only be a significant breakthrough in my ability to stick to a deadline but will allow me 2 weeks of non-rushed, non-hastled time to see family, friends, enjoy the weather and available vegan food, spend some time alone (last time for QUITE awhile more than likely as hostels are not conducive to this!), and get in some quality training in this all-but-pefect venue. Tally ho, back to the boxes.... and em, Shrek, o' course. Here is a brief photo-journal of the garage sale chapter of the moving saga...