MY SPAWN SUCCESSFULLY "MATRICULATE"...

Although when I "graduated" from both elementary and middle school it really was not met with any fantastic fanfare (basically, the bell rang on the last day of school in June, I went home for summer and then showed up at a new school 3 months later in September), apparently we parents (or at least we insane Los Angeles types) decided at some point that these (standard?) rites of passage should be marked with parties, limos and even gifts... What???? I don't get it, don't agree with it, but certainly would not deign to deny my child the same unalienable rights as their peers! When taken to the furthest Nth extreme in Hollywoodland, I believe this is called: "Keeping up with the Jolie-Pitts." At least this new way of spoiled parenting did not include the J-P requirement of also adding a few adopted children to the dinner table. I really had to keep my opinionated disdain regarding this issue to myself. It would have been met with equal horror from both my own progeny as well as the Harper Valley P.T.A. So, I quelled my feelings of once again succumbing to peer pressure and acted as if I was on board for the entire charade... At least I got some got souvenir photos of my gorgeous daughters out of the whole thing...

SYNCHRONICITY & BALANCE

The past month has been a study in patience... Negotiating escrow on my new house truly proved the litmus of my ability to just "roll with the universe." In the end, all worked out great, but the process is not something I want to repeat ANYTIME soon! Every day was a new adventure of paperwork facilitation, responding to inquiries from lenders, escrow reps, agents, etc. Because the real estate market has so profoundly changed (at least in Los Angeles), everyone is extremely cautious. The frustrating part was that I have spent my life establishing and maintaining responsibility and excellent credit - even when things got REAL DICEY... This integrity ended up saving me in the end and pushing through my needs, but it seemed like the lenders got into every drop of my "Kool-Aid" they could possibly investigate. I was waiting for them to ferret out my elementary school teachers to inquire if I'd ever cheated on a third grade test! It really was that intensive of a personal/financial/historical investigation. But again, all's well that end's well: I got my loan and my patience got a work out. At least now I understand clearer the litmus of how much it can sustain!!!
The move itself was tough, too. I am a warrior and pushed myself to the infinity and beyond. Got everything done, but it almost took me out. I think perhaps I am too old for this! No - I didn't say (write?) that! I had great professional movers, but felt the need (bad pattern) of trying to do it all myself. I justified this by telling myself that only I knew what needed to be packed or jettisoned from my old pad, how boxes needed to be handled, etc. etc. Thinking it would make the transition less stressful, I overlapped close of escrow on the new place with a week of still paying rent on the old one.
Then I got sick...
I NEVER get sick...
I have never even called in sick one day in my entire working career.
I just don't get sick...
I got sick.
This variable really threw off everything. Still ventrally the eternal warrior however, I refused to rest or surrender. Pragmatically speaking I also couldn't afford the luxury... I had to get out of the old place and into the new. Getting out of the old meant trying to donate, recycle or just throw away anything that didn't make the cut to the new place and then cleaning up the whole apartment. I was trying to fulfill my mother's advice to "always leave everything better than you found it - and that includes people."
I tried. I really did. Schlepping resonant items to Goodwill was the most grueling of it, really. Everything in me screamed to just throw it all away. But I couldn't do it. I ended up sacrificing the "thorough" cleaning of the old place and just did the best I could. I got it all done just about at the eleventh hour. But I did it.
And paid for it physically for almost 10 days!
Then there was the frustrating adventure of waiting for workers to help me set up the various requirements of daily living that are inherent to moving into a new place. I must say that I was seriously disappointed by the lack of care, professionalism and time scheduling I experienced overall at the ends of egregiously slacking techno, computer, cable, telephone, maintenance, lock and key, contractors, etc. It was like a pandemic of carelessness, sloth and "baditude." I just smiled all the way through, kissed a lot of butt and held my tongue. My favorite was when the cable tv guy (who just didn't show for our first appointment and was 90 minutes late for the reschedule) arrived without my account set up, the wrong equipment and actually asked ME if I had any spare tv cable lying about. I did not, so he had to leave and return a third time. For which he again arrived an hour late.
Don't worry that I am sick, need to get to work and am paying YOU, Cable Guy! ;)
It took him more than FIVE HOURS to get everything set up and was also a... storyteller. I finally had to politely tell him that I didn't feel well and ask that he please just finish the job so I could go to work in order to earn the money I would need to pay him.
He appeared disappointed at losing his captive (albeit flu-wracked) audience, but finally accomplished his task.
There was more frustrations with unpacking, getting ethernet to work, assembling IKEA purchases without the benefit of understand a word of Swedish, and much more. I expect anyone who has ever moved OVERstands how rough it really was.
But... it's done, I'm in, feeling MUCH better and learned a lot about myself, at this juncture of my life, and that is probably a good thing.
I know the new house is a GREAT thing, so what am I really complaining about? Well, this is a "blog," right - and it's mine - so it is my privilege to "share..."
Till next time...