Game Over.  Friday at approximately 2:40pm; that's when the last load of family heirlooms were hoisted from my car and given to ARC.  Done.  Complete.  Finished.  The last 'Simon Sez' doll, lamp, box of books, clothing and a box of "this & that" were given to a nice man who smiled and thanked me for my donation.

So it's all gone.  The 4 bedroom family home from childhood is now pretty much an empty shell.  If walls could only talk.    My friends have begun bringing their household items over in anticipation of the cold week ahead - I told them it was ok, yet found myself feeling weird as I saw their stuff replace things on my childhood mantle and in my Mom's mecca - her kitchen.  But why?  It's only adding character and special touches back to the house.  The feelings caught me a bit by surprise.

But truly, when I take a step back from my own bag of emotions, I'm thrilled I can help out a wonderful family and college friend.  They've been over every day this week, working tirelessly to help me get the house painted and cleaned so that they can move in.   Who would ever schedule a house closing on the Friday after Thanksgiving - forcing people to move over the weekend holiday?  The horrible buyers of their house, that's who.  These people are d.i.n.k.s. (double income no kids) - the acronym fits the selfish bastards if you ask me.  They could care less that my friends had to sell their house because they fell on hard financial times. They underbid their home shamelessly - and now they want everything on their terms.  But what about trying to welcome home 2 kids from college - home being a relative term since it's a brand new house & different community....or what about their two younger children, adjusting to saying goodbye to neighborhood friends.  Happy Thanksgiving huh?  I keep reminding them they have a healthy child that survived a brain tumor.  A house is just 4 walls - family is priceless.  So screw these people - they've been horrible to my friends and I'm hoping karma comes knocking very, very soon. The saddest thing of all was going to the city yesterday to get information for them and standing in line with someone being forced to foreclose.  The attendant said it was their 5th that day.

For now, I'm tired both mentally and physically.  I've been eating on the fly and not getting the proper workouts I need - I think I've gained 5 pounds.  This move has kicked my arse and zapped my emotions...but when I think about it, I'm feeling pretty fantastic about what I've accomplished - at least over there!  I've got a dining room & living room full of boxes and 'stuff' (except one big crockpot - LeeLoo took that off my hands earlier in the week!) 

And now for panic #2, 20 people will be landing on my doorstep for Thanksgiving.  That, my friends, is a blog waiting to happen!