Show me the mattress

From 6:30 yesterday morning until midnight last night, I sprinted to the finish line preparing for the movers. Packing clothes into suitcases; separating out kitchen wares, linens, and toiletries to serve us the next eight weeks; gathering up batteries, light bulbs, and other items that can’t be shipped and segregating them; cleaning and oiling the hardwood furniture; vacuuming and rolling up rugs; conditioning the leather chairs; gathering like items together for packing; scrubbing and cleaning the bathrooms, assembling cleaning tools, and washing the curtains in preparation for our home inspection next week.

I fell into bed after my shower and shivered with my hair still wet, the wind howling and rain lashing the windows in the midnight gloom. I hunkered down into my pillow-top mattress and thought of how long it will be before I sleep in my own bed again.

I woke at 5 a.m. with three thoughts: I forgot to set aside Neosporin with the band-aids, I needed to gather up our photographs, and I had to locate the medical summary from my cardiologist so I can hand carry it to the States. I laid in bed for an hour, remembering other things I’d neglected to take care of: I needed to get a scarf, hat, and gloves out of the hall closet; I wanted to pull a poetry anthology off the bookshelves;  I had to make sure my son had packed a pair of khaki pants; I needed to give the kids money for lunch because I wouldn’t be making lunches that morning; and I had to finish tagging the items that the movers shouldn’t pack.

At 6 a.m., I slipped downstairs and started on all those tasks while getting the kids ready for school. At 9 a.m., the movers arrived, smelling of hard work and tobacco. They came over from Antwerp, but most are French speakers. They quickly settled into their jobs and broke sweats. We turned down the heat and opened some windows. I’m freezing. Everyone else is comfortable. E keeps everyone in coffee.

Today is mostly a day of watching and waiting. Seeing my life sift through the sturdy hands of strangers, wondering what thoughts slide through their minds as they wrap my dishes and crystal, precious mementos, shelves of books, drawers of clothes. The work is going much faster than expected—everything we’ve done to prepare has made a big difference.

Now, to keep things interesting, the guys delivering our borrowed furniture have arrived, so as one set of goods is prepared to ship out, another group is ready to set up. We’re trying to make space and keep from running into one another. As E tells them where to place the living room furniture, I have only one thing on my mind: When are they going to set up a bed?

I'm beyond tired. And I have hours to go before I sleep, hours to go before I sleep.

January 16, 2008

Comments

[Claudia]

Oh V., you must be EXHAUSTED!! * sends you some energy *

[Peter]

I feel the sheer exhaustion by just reading your post Veronica..

As far as I can gather, you prepared for your move like a pro, making a huge difference. Well, you had to prepare thoroughly, since you won't be leaving immediately.

I knew some people at SHAPE who move *every two years, the last one moved to a base in Italy. They admitted they felt like they were 'in perpetual transit' and many didn't even bother to unpack many items they had little use for in Belgium. Their almost nomadic life style would drive me crazy - I couldn't live this way.

Anyway, I do hope you will sleep better as soon as the house has been cleared.

It would be a great experience if you were able to enjoy these remaining weeks in Belgium, and I'm sure you will.

I'll meet you at Di's ;-)

[furiousBall]

boy moving is hard enough, let alone across an ocean. i'll try and sleep for you a little bit too tonight.

[Shirl Grrrl]

WOW... and God Bless Y'all!

[Di]

A hug from a quiet room in Antwerpen :)

[Anastasic Beaverhausen]

Wish you were moving closer to where I am. Oh, the lunches we'd have.

[Lynn]

How exciting and exhausting! Good luck - and good sleep! I'm glad the people with the rented furniture got there so quickly, so you won't be sitting in an empty house wondering if you'll get a bed tonoight!

[Nancy]

Wishing you a quick and uneventful move. And a great, great night's sleep whenever it happens.

[Tera]

Have a good sleep tonight in your borrowed bed, dear V. I sincerely wish you the very best of all good things to come.

[Nance]

Here's hoping your bed is "lovely, dark and deep." ;-)

[Shirley]

Isn't it amazing how the mind works on remembering things? (That's why I always pack at least 24 hours before departure ... to give myself time to remember what I've forgotten.) Glad everything is going really well. The borrowed furniture would seem odd I think, but I bet you rest well in that borrowed bed. Hope it's "just right" for you like Goldilocks' bed and you wake up refreshed for the beginning of the last "leg" of your time in Belgium.

[Amber]

Aww, you poor thing! Sounds like so much fun. ;) But don't worry, it will all be done soon. Just think, pretty soon you can unpack it all in a brand new house!
oxox :)

[mamatulip]

Moving is so tiring. I hope when you read this, you're rested.

[Manictastic]

Sleeping is nice. I always enjoy a good sleep. Sure, I don't remember all that much of the eight or more hours, but still, I just know it's good.