January 17, 2003 - 8:42 p.m.
Well, we're halfway there.
Thursday morning I woke up at 7am, hoping to get a little laundry and packing done before the professional packers arrived but it was not to be. Before my feet hit the floor, Zachary was in the hall calling for me. And Marcus decided he needed me, too. It was the beginning of a day that just kept reiterating the best laid plans of mice and men...
8am - the boys are dressed and fed and so far no one has arrived to start packing my stuff. I check weather.com one more time and the forecast is looking grimmer all the time. I had planned to take the boys to Richmond as soon as the packing ended, leaving the actual loading of the truck to Mike the following day. But the prediction of snow storms worried me that 1) the movers might be unable to get the truck to the house Friday morning and 2) Mike may not make the drive back from DC Thursday evening. I worry the move might be pushed to Monday.
8:20 am - I call the moving company to ask about how the weather might impact the schedule. The dispatcher tells me it's largely up to the driver and we'll have to "play it by ear." Argh!
8:30 am - The packing team arrives and begins to fly through the house, leaving stacks of boxes in their wake.
9am - The dispatcher calls. The driver and his team are also worried about the forecast and want to pack the truck today instead of tomorrow. They'll be at the house by 11am. The little, merry chant from the Hitchhiker's Guide radio series dances around in my head- Don't. Panic. Don't. Panic. Last time we moved, loading the truck took all day. I have to be out of Virginia Beach by 6 to get to Richmond ahead of the storm. Not to mention I have no one to watch my boys while all the doors in the house are open while the movers load the truck. Don't. Panic. I call Mike and beg him to drive home asap. I call my parents. I run around, trying to keep an eye on my children, get the trash out of the house, toss things into my car that I don't want in the truck over the weekend, and generally panic.
11am - No truck
1pm - The packers finish up. My parents arrive to take Zachary to Lulu's for lunch and ice cream. Marcus finally falls asleep in his car seat (his crib bedding is in a box). No truck
2pm - No truck.
2:30 - The dispatcher calls to ask if the moving crew has arrived. Mike calls to report he's at the Bowling Green exit filling up his gas tank.
2:35 - The dispatcher calls again to tell me the truck is only a couple blocks away and should arrive momentarily.
2:45 - The truck arrives.
3:30 - My parents take the boys out for a car ride, where they will be warm and can get a nap, which they both need. I get to walk unfettered around the house and discover things left unpacked or overlooked in closets. I fill up the back of my parents' car while they're out with my minivan.
4:30 - My parents return with a sleeping toddler and a hungry baby. The house is about 58 degrees (open doors and garage) so I feed Marcus in the car while my Dad takes over supervision in the house. I watch the clouds for any signs of impending precipitation.
5pm - Mike arrives :)
5:30-Preparations to leave. The truck is almost loaded. It's dark and cold.
5:45- I follow my parents out of the subdivison, leaving Mike to handle what's left of the move.
5:47- Marcus starts crying
6:00- We stop at Taco Bell for sodas and to feed Marcus a jar of sweet potatoes and a jar of bananas.
6:15 - Back on the road toward Rt. 460
8:00 - Mike calls to let me know the truck is loaded and ready to go.
8:15 - We hit Interstate 295 at Petersburg. Mom, ahead of me, is driving at a pretty good speed. Then we pass two VDOT trucks - a snow plow and a sander. Mom accelerates.
8:30 - Exit from 95 to 288. Glimpses of white in my lights. Just after we cross Ironbridge Rd, snow seems to just swell up. In my rearview mirror I can see it swirling on the road behind me.
8:40 - We pass Hull Street Road. I can make out tracks from the other cars in the snow on the road. Great - it's sticking. By the time we pull onto Lucks Lane I can actually see the impressions of the treads. Visibility is diminishing, too. It feels like I'm driving through the "Starfield Simulation" screensaver.
8:55 - We finally arrive at my parents' house, get the boys out of the car, into their pajamas and into bed. I collapse on the sofa.
Halfway there.
