The First Day in Columbia

I should take a moment to apologize for the lateness of this post.

But I won't.

Hey, we've been moving. Are you kidding? :)

I have no way to describe what it's been like leaving our home in Aptos and working our way across the country to Columbia in five long days. But it occurs to me as I sit here on a hot Monday night that thousands of Americans are making similar moves, in similar circumstances, seeking shelter from a storm created by circumstance and, yes, choices that yielded unexpected consequences.

We've been sad, and now we move forward with renewed faith in our ability to respond appropriately to whatever life brings our way. The kitties say it best: Eat, sleep, play. Be where your paws are.

And here's the first video from Columbia. Warning - it's a little long at 4 minutes:



The truck came on Friday, and our old college friend Rich Pierry showed up to give us a hand. My brother Rob traveled through driving rain and severe thunderstorms to help us, too. Without the two of them we would never have gotten our heaviest pieces in.

 A sort of sad note: We had a lot of damage to furniture. Nothing irreparably broken, but lots of dents, abrasions, and scratches. Since we used Upack, we had no recourse because we loaded the truck ourselves. Though we hired professional loaders, in the end that made no difference. The damage is somewhere between five and ten percent. Too high, even for a cross-country move.

By the time we were finished on Saturday, we were definitely all in.

Rich and Susan, All In But Done!

On Saturday Rob and Rich went home, and we set about the long process of unpacking. We had our first cookout Thursday night - jerked chicken - and verily it was good.

Sunday brought another cookout (kabobs) and tonight we had Susan's magnificent lasagna.

Our Internet is now live, and it felt good to get a few hours' work in. Much more work looms on the horizon, too. Business is good. The cost of living here is radically lower than in the Santa Cruz/Silicon Valley area, too, and that's quite a relief. And though South Carolina is not California, I can truthfully tell you the reverse is also true.

I'll leave the last word to Thomas, our 18-year-old cat who, true to form, shows it rather than speaking it.

Yup, I'm Done Here. Where's the Catnip?

Stay tuned. We'll update the blog once a week or so to let you know how the Kitties of Kalifornia fare in South Carolina!