Rob has left the Midwest

Rob is officially on the East Coast--partying it up on New Year's in Chicopee, MA. He made it without incident through IN and OH, the most notoriously boring stretch of this particular trip, and then hit snow in upstate NY (who would have guessed?!), but is safely only hours away from Maine. Hurray! With any luck, he will be crossing that blessed bridge from Portsmouth, NH into Maine before lunchtime tomorrow.

Crossing that bridge always makes us cry, or shout in delight, or both. I wish Willa and I were there to cross it with him.

We, however, are still cozy in Evanston. Our playgroup friends and across-the-street neighbors Elise, Glynis and Elora came by to keep us company for awhile, which was so nice of them. We didn't leave the house--it was about 14 degrees here today--so the diversion was very much appreciated, as was the chance to say goodbye.

I have spent the evening internet-window-shopping when I should be doing other things. Joanna (also a playgroup friend, by the way--we couldn't be making this move this comfortably without our dear playgroup!) has the most wonderful German linens in her house, and I'm pretty obsessed, and trying to find available facsimiles. Willa likes them, too.

In transit

Rob left Evanston just a few minutes ago--wish I'd taken a picture of the car, with hardly a spare inch of room--and Willa and I are happily hiding out at Joanna's: Willa's reading all of Zora's book and I'm reading Joanna's fashion magazines, yippee! Ravit will be over soon to keep us company, and then Wills and I will hole up for the new year and then be headed on our way by plane on Friday morning, weather permitting.

We met our tenants yesterday and they are lovely. Willa talked the ear off of their 11-year-old daughter, quite enthalled to her. They're moving in this morning, and they've got our old phone number, so don't call it! If you need to reach us in the next few days, Rob's got our cell phone and you can email me for Joanna's number.

A little weird to have our stuff scattered all over creation--some with me, some with Rob, some in a truck somewhere, some in our friend's basement, some in our Evanston apartment...We'll be glad when all this limbo is over.

Meanwhile, the baby is occasionally moving very gently. Seems to be a calm one.

Send clear-road vibes for Rob and clear-sky ones for us on Friday, please!

Whoops!

We forgot to wish everyone who does that sort of thing a Merry Christmas! And to all a good night!

If anyone asks

I've resolved that from now on, if someone asks why we're going to Maine right now, I will say, "I have chosen to return to the country for my confinement."

It comes from something said about a pregnant character in the Emma Thompson film version of Sense and Sensibility, which Rob and I watched again tonight, and wept at again tonight, for the millionth time. A perfect movie, in our opinions.

I have chosen to return to the country for my confinement.

Packing

Amidst the chaos of packing--










Willa enjoys rediscovering old things--

and we still find time to celebrate Chanukah.

Join us, won't you?

So today begins our journey to Maine for the next year and a half, in that tomorrow we move all the stuff we won't need for the next year and a half, and that our tenants don't want, into our friends Marjory and Eric's basement. Thanks, Marj and Eric! Thanks, Ravit and Gabe, for helping us with this part of the move!

The logistics are confusing--believe us, we know--so just FYI, our tenants move in on Dec. 30, at which point Rob drives off into the sunset...I mean, sunrise, since he's headed due east...with Maisie and our car loaded with stuff. Not that loaded. It's a very small car. With lots of bumper stickers. If you look carefully, you can tell which one is ours when it passes you on I-80/90.

Anyway, Rob and Maisie and the car leave, and Willa and I stay at our friend Joanna's place (with Ravit along for some sleepover fun) until January 2nd, when we fly to Portland and meet up with Rob. Who will hopefully be there, assuming he does not get caught in a snowstorm. Which is a big assumption, since he is driving the actual snowbelt, around Lake Michigan, past Lake Erie, and over through the brutal Buffalo-Syracuse corridor we know so well.

Then we'll all be at Margy's in Brunsick for the weekend, while I teach at Stonecoast, and then Rob and Willa and Maisie and the car head up to Belfast on Sunday the 4th, while I stay down until the 7th to finish up the residency.

Phew! The basic idea is: we all hope to be in Belfast together by January 8. And we are hoping that our truckload of stuff arrives shortly thereafter.

Between now and then: Chaos. Packing. Chanukah. Lots of takeout. Some fetal movement (let's hope). One three year old with a cold that will go away soon (let's hope). Two very tired grown-ups who just want to be in Maine already.