easier than expected

We got back to the Cozy Wee Bungalow yesterday afternoon with a trailer full of antique furniture from downstate. I think we almost have everything I care about out of that house. All the family pieces are here and for the most part are being pressed into service. The sideboard built by one of Eric's ancestors is extra kitchen cupboard space. The cabinet that used to be my apothecary is a pantry. The dresser made by my great-somebody-or-other is in the dining room and will act as a sideboard, mostly because it's so old we're afraid to try to get it up the stairs, and I can use the storage downstairs. The whole house is a hot mess. The cats are getting neurotic. But every box I toss down the basement stairs gets me a step closer to the new normal.

This has been an odd summer. Except for Scotland, there is nothing we did I'm in a hurry to repeat. Even Scotland we will do differently the next time we go. At this point, I'm keeping my head above water by trying to work as few hours as I can possibly get away with and finding homes for all the stuff out in the open. I did dishes this afternoon and you can't tell a difference because my counters are covered with things that need a home. It doesn't help that the top 2 shelves in all my upper cabinets are too high for me to reach, so they need to house things I don't need much.

It is coming together, though. Slowly. I did write a little short story last week, more for therapy than anything. It's under 2,000 words and might not ever see the light of day again. I hope, in the next week or two, to have things under control enough to start working on the dragon story again. I have to dig out my notes. I'm not sure where they are. That's the story of my life this summer.

On the plus side, I saw Vicky, Erik, and my friend/adopted little sister, Jenn, on Saturday. Jenn, Eric and I loaded almost the whole trailer before Vicky and Erik got there, but the kids moved some of Vicky's stuff to storage. We had to tidy and leave the house before noon for a showing, so we took a two-hour lunch break at Chick-Fil-A. Alex was supposed to come, but he tweaked his back at the gym, and he had papers to grade along with his own homework. Oh, he's graduating a semester early--this December. The school doesn't have the funds to pay him next semester in his GA program, so they jiggled his course requirements so he can graduate. That means he has 3 months to figure out the next step instead of 9. He's applying for PhD programs and looking at the job market. The way they've been jerking him around the past couple of months, I don't see WIU getting any alumni funds out of him. Ever.

Work has been a trial by fire since my vacation ended. At the worst point I was down to 5 staff members, including myself, but that's when they started letting me hire my own people. I got us up to 10, and one of my openers quit last week. It's not a great loss. He saved me the trouble of firing him when I get the newbies trained enough. Thankfully I'm (so far) only working 4 days this week so I can maybe get my house under control. I have more managerial duties now, which suits me, and am waiting for the formal promotion and pay raise. I have to keep reminding myself we've only been open 4 months. It feels like years.

So that's what's going on here. Now that we're done moving stuff, at least for a while, the weather should break and fall can commence. Hope everything is going well in your little worlds.