Boring, gloomy update only worth reading if you want the bland, bare facts

Ooog. Where should I begin?

We flew to Providence on Thursday and spent the night at the Brown Compound. Friday morning, Nate and Penny drove us to New Hampshire...On the way, we got a phone call or two and since the cell phone coverage was patchy, we pulled off the highway and parked in a Burger King parking lot in the depressing city of Leominster, MA to conduct our business. Then we decided that while we were there, we should run in and use the bathroom. When we came out, the Explorer wouldn't start. It was raining and cold. We were stressed and exhausted. ( Over the last couple days, the issue of whether we were actually going to go through with buying this house was up in the air. I won't describe all the boring details and reasons but it has been an emotional rollercoaster of agonizing magnitude.) ( But, as far as we know right now, we ARE buying the house.) Fortunately, some kind angels- disguised as grundgy electricians- helped by letting us jumpstart the vehicle and we were on our way.

We stopped at Fairwood to assess the "Stuff in Storage" situation and lo, the Explorer failed to start again. This time, there was a real, non-grundgy angel who helped us out- Gerry Anderson. It was determined that the alternator was gonzo and he took us to town to pick one up...Then he drove us to our apartment ( HOME AT LAST!). In spite of the flooded areas all around us, ( we had to take a detour to get home) our house still stands. While I scavenged materials to start a fire- it was COLD- the others found a shocking sight in the kitchen. Apparently, another mouse had succumbed to our trap. I guess it was pretty gruesome; I'll never know because Brad got rid of it pretty fast. Then the guys left to go back to Fairwood and install the alternator while Penny and I relaxed at home. We all ended up going out to eat for dinner- since we had NOTHING to eat at our house and I had no car to go grocery shopping with ( it's in Georgia!). Diane joined us and we had a great time. When we left, we found that Brad's car, the Mazda, wouldn't start. OH MY WORD. WHAT NEXT? We called Nate and Penny on our cell phone and fortunately, they hadn't left yet, so they came and charged us up...Good grief.

It is incredibly nice to sleep in our own bed again. It's so good to be home in spite of the crazed mess it's in.

Now we are recovering from our travels, gearing up to pack, and I am trying not to get frazzled by the messy apartment or overwhelmed by all that must be done. If I don't happen to see you or say goodbye to you before we leave, please don't be offended. You can come see me here at the apartment as we pack...because since I have no car to drive ( it's been years since I've driven a standard and I don't dare practice on Brad's car) I won't be getting out much in the next week...nor will I have much time to...