We got up around 8:00 AM and stripped the bed so that we could wash the sheets. We like to be good house guests so that we'll be invited back again, and maybe again, and again. Remember, we're homeless.
Coco was CRASHED on the sofa! That was no surprise since she was up all night. They would certainly be reminded why people of our maturity level don't stay up all night.............you suffer.........for days.
Saying that we dreaded the process of loading Stormy would be an enormous understatement. I woke up stressed! The fact that I was also in a huge peri-menopausal state did not make the situation any better. As organized as I am, I felt thoroughly overwhelmed by this process because all of our decisions on what to leave in storage in San Francisco and what to take with us to New Orleans was guesswork. Phyl began to carry things to Stormy and I started packing. It did not take long to determine that everything was not going to fit.
G- Ugh!!!!! This is definitely not going to work!
P- I've been telling you that I didn't think this would all fit. I know you're skilled at organizing, but you're not a magician.
G- Whah! This makes my head hurt!! What are we going to leave? Maybe we should pack the rooftop carrier now and be done with that.
Phyl handed up garbage bags of stuff.........heavy stuff........it was a struggle.............and I crammed them into the carrier.
G- Ok, that's all that can fit.
P- That's all? I thought it would hold a lot more.
G- Me too! Whah!
P- Whining won't help.
G- Whah! Whah! Whah! The stuff I've put into Stormy has to come out and we have to re-evaluate.
P- Well, I know for sure that we're not leaving the wine. (we had belonged to several wine clubs and had several boxes of wine to take to Nola)
G- Well that's a given. Let's find out if there is a UPS store around here. We may have to ship some of the lighter things.
P- Yes. Wine is too heavy to ship and could break.
G- I think we could fit more if we removed everything from the containers. I hate to have it loose, but that may be what we have to do.
Fast forward by several hours................... So much for getting on the road at a decent time. We went to the UPS store 2 times and shipped 4 boxes home. We brought some stuff back to Shannon's. So much time passed that even Coco had come alive, showered and seemed pretty perky. My head was about to explode and I just wanted this process to end. The evacuation process the night before a colonoscopy was more fun than packing this car!
G- Ok, close all of the doors and roll down the windows. Anything else that's going in will have to go in that way. I'm going to put the bags we have to access each night behind the driver's seat.
Coco - Loves, is there anything I can do to help you?
P- Probably not Coco. Gina has to put it all into the car. I just carry the stuff to her. Can we leave a few rubbermaid containers here?
Coco- Sure lovies! Where are you putting these lawn chairs? On the roof?
G- I've got to put that rug on the roof. I think it can go next to the carrier. The chairs could go on top of the carrier, but we need to have access to them. I want to strap everything up there down with these extra straps.
P- I know you're fruit for the extra straps, but I don't think we need them.
G- We do need them! I'm tired of this same conversation. I don't want to be driving across the country and have something fly off the roof and cause a 20 car pile up! We don't have enough insurance for that! Hello! You know my defense background!! Could you please indulge me?!
P- Alright! It's just overkill!! *thinks..."but I am not arguing with a peri-menopausal, hormone deprived, whack-a-do"*
When the yelling started, Coco retreated to the house. We were stressed and tempers were rising. Run, Coco, Run!!!! We finally squeezed the last things into the car and closed all of the windows. Phyl did a great job getting the chairs into, rather than on top of, Stormy. I tried to remember the locations of everything in case we needed access. It was 4:00 PM!!! After good-bye hugs, we pulled out of Coco's garage, barely fitting under the raised door. We drove 2 blocks, Phyllis hit the brakes a little hard, and the cooler came crashing down onto my head.
G- Son of a bitch!
We pulled over and I got a golf umbrella and put it up behind the headrests to make a barricade. We were off again. It was an incredibly beautiful day and we were VERY SAD to be leaving San Francisco. We were quiet and lost in our own thoughts as we drove across the Bay Bridge. We had been here for exactly 2 years. We'd definitely be back!
