A Move Across Town

So, mom and I had a wonderful meal at Harry's Roadhouse. I just ordered French Toast, while mom ordered the Blue Corn Waffle with bacon. We were so excited to be eating there. When our breakfast arrived, mom told the server that we still needed her side of bacon. She got a very funny look from the server as she walked back into the kitchen to grab a side of bacon for her. After digging into her waffle, mom found out that the bacon was cooked inside. No wonder she was getting funny looks from our server. Of course, now fully embarrassed, mom and I both ate the extra side of bacon!

We completely enjoyed our time at Harry's and knew that we would be back any time we traveled through Santa Fe again. For now, we were headed back to Colorado Springs. As we set forth on our last leg of the journey home, we called the family to let them know we were on the road again (hearing a little Willie Nelson in the background).

As we drove through the hills between Santa Fe and Las Vegas, NM, mom and I got the surprise of our lives (again)! The snow had fallen overnight so the roads were wet with some patches of snow here and there. We had to use the windshield wipers once again to clear the spray and splatters from other vehicles. As the day before, all-of-a-sudden the wiper on my side of the car started flailing about with each swipe of the blades. NOT AGAIN!!! We thought we left the ordeal with the Indians behind us. But, no. They struck again.

Mom and I didn't have a safe place to pull off the road, so we waited until we had an exit. The first place to pull off was not until Las Vegas. We found our way to the nearest gas station and pulled in. Mom got out and did her best to get that wiper secured. We were definitely going to have someone look at these wipers as soon as we got to Colorado Springs! I wasn't going to continue driving this way without being sure they were affixed properly.

After getting back on the road, my grandparents called. My grandfather had gotten a great deal for me to move to a ground level apartment. There was going to be a lot of fast working to get me packed up and moved right away. I started making phone calls while my mom was driving. I started with calling all my friends to see if they could help me move over the weekend. I then called the new apartment complex to find out what we needed to do for my moving in and signing the papers. We were going to call them again when we got to town and arrange to meet that afternoon. I called my work to see if they could get a bunch of boxes for us to start packing. I called utilities, cable and phone companies to start the process of changing addresses right away. I couldn't believe how everything was coming together so fast and easy! This was for sure the hand of the Lord at work for me. I had been pretty nervous about moving back to a third floor apartment, but God was working this out in first class style.

By the time mom and I reached the Colorado border, I had everything lined up to begin moving Saturday morning. I had people from work, church and elsewhere that were all going to meet us at 9am and get me moved. I also had friends stacking boxes at a co-workers desk so he could bring them to my place on his way home. Still, I was completely amazed at how God was working this all out.

It was just passed lunch time as crossed into Colorado. A few more hours and we would be back home putting the finishing touches on getting me packed and moved out so I wouldn't have to deal with stairs (they were the least practiced in therapy). Mom and I didn't stop for lunch so we would be sure to get to the new apartment and sign all of the papers to be able to get the keys and start moving a few things on our own Friday. That gave us tonight and all day tomorrow to pack as much as we could and get the big things moved on Saturday while I had all the muscles employed for the day.

We got to the new apartment office just before 4pm. We signed all of the papers and got the keys in record time. By 4:30 we were opening my new apartment and looking at the space we had to work with. This place was twice the size of where I was now, and was not much more in rent. What a blessing this entire move was turning out to be. Plus, it was within two miles of work. As we entered my new apartment, one of the maintenance men were there installing a brand new washer and dryer. Another blessing! No more dragging a laundry basket to the local laundromat or friends house. I would be able to do laundry anytime without bugging anyone else.

Mom and I left my new place and headed to get something to eat. We grabbed some fast food and made t back to the old apartment. We had a load of boxes waiting for us at the front door and a few more inside. Mom got the car unloaded of things that we needed for the night, we ate dinner and began throwing whatever we could into boxes from my entertainment center and bookshelves. We made such a mess, but we didn't have long to get as much done as we could.

Friday came and we had made only a dent in the one-bedroom place. But, we were trying our best to get it all accomplished. We had to take a break though to go find a moving truck big enough to handle all my furniture. We headed for U-Haul and tried to get a mid-sized reserved for the next day, but it was a small one or a large one, no in-between. So we took our chances on the big one. We'd go first thing Saturday morning and pick it up. Back to the old place we went putting most things in boxes and some thing just in the car.

Mom took a run or two to the new place with clothing and stuff that didn't need to go in boxes, while I stayed and tried to put small things from the bedroom bookshelves in boxes. I found all kinds of things. When mom returned, I dressed up in some of the things I found to break up the seriousness of getting this all put together. So, here I am sitting in my wheelchair in my old bedroom with red reindeer antlers on my head. We had a good laugh and moved right back into packing up.

Saturday came and we left to go get the U-Haul truck. It took much longer than we thought it would take and a few people were already at the old place waiting for us. (I'm not allowed to tell you about the drive back to the apartment, but let's just say there was an entire street corner involved with the big truck.)  We made it back to the apartment and started putting people to work with getting the major furniture loaded. A couple of the ladies had already started packing up the kitchen, so we let them continue with that. Mom started helping the guys order the major furniture to best utilize space while I sat and helped anyone decide what to do next.

By 11:30 we had most of the apartment packed and loaded into the truck. The guys were waiting for a few last minute boxes from the kitchen and bedroom before closing up and heading to the new place. We got that all buttoned up and everyone had directions to the new place. One guy offered to drive the truck and mom GLADLY gave up that job. Only problem was that someone who had already left had the keys to the truck with them, so we were stuck. After calling the guy that had the keys and him racing back with them, mom and I had the guy follow us with the truck.

We finally got to the new place and got everyone started with bringing in boxes and furniture. It was super quick and they had everything in its place. Mom and I had sandwiches, chips and soda ready at the new apartment to feed everyone and as soon as they had finished unloading everything we all sat around and ate together. The job was done with a few minor things mom and I could handle later. I still had two weeks left in the old place to get it emptied out and cleaned up before the final inspection. The only thing left to do at the new place was to get everything unpacked and decorated as this was now my home for awhile.

Mom and I had our fill of moving by the time everyone left. But we still had a few things to do at the old place before night-fall, and we wanted to make sure we slept at my new place that night. So we went back to the old place and gathered another car full of things and called it a day. We started getting some things together to take showers and changes of clothes, got some dinner and settled in for the night. Tomorrow was another day before I started back to work on Monday.

Sunday was a little more of the same. Unpacking boxes and putting things away in the kitchen, bathrooms and bedroom. The living room and front bedroom could wait a little while longer. We did what we could and rested a little to prepare for the week ahead. After all, it was going to be my first full day of work since August. Bring it on!

Next..."A Full-Time Position."

Reflection:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6