Yes, He's Kidding. Or At Least He'd Better Be...

So, Jeremy recently let me know that a track supervisor job has opened up in Illinois. That is really, really not funny. I'm not ready to even joke about such things :0)

The Negative Post

Ok, so I think I've been pretty diplomatic about some of the things the railroad has thrown our way. I think I've tried to put a positive spin on just about everything. But, well, this blog is supposed to be confessions of a railroad wife and I've gotta tell you, right now that wife is stressed out! I'm not sure I've ever felt this unsure or worried or burdened. Goodness knows there are worse things happening to better people all over the world but in my little part of the universe this is a big deal :)

The good news is that the Ohio move has officially been approved. There wasn't much doubt but it's good to know it's a sure thing. The bad news? The company officially releases Jeremy from living on their expense after Friday. Now this might not be a big deal to some people but please remember that we still haven't sold the house in Charlottesville (mortgage!) and we have to rent in Roanoke for at least another month until the movers come and we find another place to live (rent!) and now Jeremy needs to find a place in Ohio (more rent!). So, somehow, some way, we have to find a way to pay 3 housing bills in the next few days. After only 2 days notice. When Jeremy mentioned to his boss that it wasn't a lot of time to take care of all this the guy actually chuckled and said after a while we'd get used to it and it becomes kind of fun. Well, honestly, my idea of fun is not spending what's left of our savings in one blow to pay toward 3 homes but what do I know? :) So, yes, I'm a tad bit angry and a lot frustrated but mostly worried. Oh, I'm sure it will all work out and by January we'll be able to look back and laugh but for now don't be surprised if I'm grouchy or distracted or need a hug or something. Confession? Sometimes the railroad sucks even when it's paying our bills (or at least most of them...)

And So It Goes

Once again, I've found myself slacking with this blog. It seems that things have been so busy with school starting and trying to get things in order at the apartment. In fact, this weekend was supposed to be our first real weekend in Roanoke. We had nothing planned, nowhere to be, we were all looking forward to it. Because, really, I feel like we haven't had time to explore the city or take advantage of the new things and activities we have nearby. As some of you know, I wasn't sure about moving here, after all Roanoke has never really captured my heart. But I've been surprised by how much I like it so far and so my plan was to write a post about what I like about the town so far. The list was already started in my head, a Dear Roanoke letter of sorts.

And then...cue dramatic music...

We got the call this morning. Jeremy is being sent to New Lexington, Ohio and has to be there on Monday. Yep, today is Friday and he has to be there on Monday. Ahh, the joys of railroading...the thrill of no notice...the fact that we're still paying a mortgage on top of our rent and now need to find a new place to live :) The kids are not thrilled. They've made lots of new friends, they're enjoying taekwondo and gymnastics and piano and living close to their Granny and Poppie but I'm trying to present it as an adventure and, hey, at least the 4 of us will be together, right???

I don't have details yet. We just know that Jeremy leaves on Sunday. The kids and I will stay in Roanoke until things become more official...there are movers to schedule, housing to find, classes and apartments to cancel, mail to forward (again! It took 4 weeks for the mail to start being forwarded here!), schools to withdraw from and enroll in, friends and family to notify. I'm hoping we'll be able to join him in Ohio before the end of October so I guess my dreams of a lazy weekend or a few normal days will have to be put on the backburner as we start the process all over again. Hang on to your hats, it's gonna be an interesting ride as I'm thrown back into single mom-hood again for a while. As always, I'll keep you posted :)

I Know What You're Thinking

You're thinking I've been slacking off, aren't you? You're thinking that my lack of posting must be due to the fact that I'm laying on the couch, eating bon-bons, and watching soaps all day. Well, while I wish all that was true, it's not. The truth is I've been insanely busy because...We've Moved. Officially Moved. And, man, we've been busy. So, where do I start?

We came down to Roanoke on August 24th to get ready for the first day of school. The in-laws were gracious enough to put us up for a few days until our lease started. The upside for them? They got to see Olivia off on her first day of kindergarten - August 25th.

Heading to the bus stop.

I didn't cry when she got on the bus, holding hands with Noah but Jeremy and I were both a little choked up. No more babies in the house :(

Another bright spot to the 25th was that I got to have dinner with Heather in Staunton. We hadn't seen each other in about 8 years and it's one of those friendships that I always wonder why I didn't stay in touch. It was great seeing her and I was very sad when it was time to head back to Roanoke. This time I'm determined not to let her go (Sorry, Howdy, you're stuck with me!)

My proof that we actually were in the same place at the same time!!

The 26th was my birthday - number 33 to be exact. We went out to dinner and then back to the in-laws home for pie and gifts.

Thursday the 28th, I went to pick up our keys to the apartment. It was empty and quiet. All we brought with us for this first night was 2 air mattresses, sleeping bags, and...um...the computer :)

Proof that I may have a small obsession with the internet.

We headed back to C'ville for the weekend to pack up everything we'd need before the movers came and that is when the good times began...Olivia decided to come down with a nasty stomach virus and Jeremy thought it would be fun to try out a head cold. But we persevered and the kids and I went back to Roanoke on September 1st to live on the floor for just a few more days. On Thursday the 4th, the movers brought all of our stuff. And, believe me, it's a lot of stuff. My poor empty apartment became a warehouse for cardboard boxes and packing paper. And this room had the least amount of furniture and boxes in it, believe it or not.

I've been slowly unpacking because now I've decided the head cold is a good idea and the week has been rougher and busier than any of us could have predicted. On the plus side the kids are enjoying the new school. Noah has restarted his piano lessons and Olivia has started gymnastics. They are both taking taekwando twice a week. Unpacking boxes that someone else has packed is almost like Christmas - you never know what's in each box, carefully wrapped in packing paper. (Wow, those movers are thorough...they wrapped my paper plates! Good times!) The downside is that everyone except Noah has been sick, sick, sick. My car decided it wanted some attention of its own and cost me an unexpected $500 and the worst part is that I was cat sitting for my brother in law's kitty when it was decided that she was too sick to carry on. We had to take her to the vet and listen to the diagnosis and be there as she was put to sleep...an unexpected lesson in loss for the kids.

But we're here now, together, and trying to figure out how to live as a family again. The boxes will be gone soon and the schedules will get ironed out. Maybe I'll look for a job if something interesting pops up. I'm just glad to get things moving in the right direction. We appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers and good wishes as we've headed south and hope you'll keep us in mind as we try to sell the C'ville home.

I'll try not to let the blog go so long without posting next time. And, in a week or so, once all the boxes are gone, we'll be ready for some visitors so don't be shy!

The Ball Keeps Rollin'

Despite all my pessimism and doubt and unwillingness to be sure that we were moving, it looks like things keep falling into place. We've received the relocation money, we've been approved for a lease, we have 2 Realtors coming out to the house this week, and the kids are learning lots about the new school they'll be going to. So, really, it appears that we are actually going to be moving. In fact, if things continue to go as planned, we'll be moving on August 28th - a date that is rapidly approaching. I'm excited and nervous and stressed beyond belief. We have to get the siding, shutters, roof, and gutters fixed before then (thank you homeowner's insurance! no thanks to a badly timed freakishly huge hail storm!). I have to finish some last minute painting. We have to buy new carpet for the living room, finish clearing out the backyard down to the lake, clean out the basement (again. sigh.), and get the flower beds back in shape. All that while figuring out how to transport all 5 pets to the new home, registering for the new school, doctor and dentist appointments galore, starting soccer and cheerleading practice (which starts much much earlier there than it does here), finding a great piano teacher (Noah has been going through piano lesson withdrawal), packing up the stuff the movers can't move, and all the other stuff I haven't even started thinking about yet. Adding to the fun? School starts 3 days before we move so we have to figure out the logistics of that and find time (a priority!) to see Howdy, my lovely friend that I haven't seen in what? 8 years! the same week :) Good thing I work well under pressure! Otherwise the excitement might cause my head to implode!! But, honestly, as frantic and nutso as I sound, I can't wait to get all this going and keep the ball rolling...

Thank You

Thanks for all your finger-crossing, wish-making, and prayerful praying because apparently it worked. We got word that Jeremy is getting a relocation package. What this means is that the company (I always feel like I should write that in caps a la the show "Heroes" - The Company) will give us money to relocate plus an allowance to help us settle into our new city. It also, most importantly, means that if we can't sell the house within the next few months they'll buy it from us. So, while I'm hesitant to say anything is definite yet (because the pessimist in me is always lurking near the surface) it seems that we may be moving in the next month or two. We're all sad to be leaving Charlottesville, especially because we have so many great friends here, but we're excited that the four of us will be seeing each other every day soon. And, besides, we'll only be a couple more hours south so no excuses for not visiting us. C'mon, you know you can't wait to spend some time in Roanoke with us. It is the Star City of the South, ya know :)

It's Official

Yesterday Jeremy found out that he's definitely being promoted to a new position (Yay! A raise!) and that they are keeping him in the same location. We're incredibly disappointed because we were obviously hoping to move somewhere together. So, we now have to deal with the fact that it could be another year or more before he gets moved again. And, while I don't mind Roanoke, after all the buildup (and close call with moving to Indiana) I was looking forward to the idea of moving to another state. Oh well, somehow we'll manage and there is always the possibility that they'll renew his relocation package (apparently, this is still up in the air). On the bright side? There's a tiny extra bit of cash added to the paychecks, he's officially no longer a trainee, and he still loves the work he's doing. We just have to keep reminding ourselves of the good stuff. Maybe this time next year I'll finally be writing from somewhere else :)

The Good, The Bad, The Latest

It's almost, not quite, been confirmed that as of July 1st Jeremy will be relocated to...Nowhere. Seems that there aren't any jobs currently open for him to relocate to so the company has created a position for him in Roanoke - where he's already assigned. At first glance, we were pretty disappointed. You see, without a new assignment and location the company won't help us sell our house or move or anything. We were also told that the situation in Roanoke could last a month, 6 months, who knows? So we needed to decide - was it worth losing the incentives that come with a company sponsored move (i.e. - realtor commissions paid, moving expenses, bonuses for selling the house, etc) for something that might only last a month or two? Were we willing to take that risk? Unfortunately, we're not so financially well off that's it's easy to walk away from what equals tens of thousands of dollars so...we were thinking that we'd keep the situation the same - Jeremy living with his parents while he works, the kids and I staying with the house, and hoping to live together as a regular family soon. You can probably guess how depressing making that decision was. But, you know, deep down we're hopeful people and we realize that things could be much worse...we have a house, Jeremy has a job that he loves, we've been kept safe and happy here, and we have lots of supportive friends and family that have been willing to help us out at the drop of a hat. No reason to complain. Disappointed, yes, for a few days. But, complain? We just can't.

So, now the good news. Jeremy heard from someone today that because he could actually end up being in this new position for another year they are going to try to convince the company to give us another relocation package - allowing the house to be sold and allowing the company to buy the house if that doesn't happen. This isn't set in stone and there's a good chance they won't agree to reopening his original relocation contract but I can't help but get my hopes up again. Because things always work out in the end; sometimes we just need a little patience. So, if you could keep your fingers crossed, keep us in your prayers, maybe loan us a wish or two, it would be greatly appreciated. We're ready to settle in together, to put things back to the way they were, to see each other on a daily basis and we can use all the help we can get :)

Waiting By The Phone

I'm not sure if we're acting more like teenage girls sitting by the phone waiting for the perfect boy to call or if we're more like expectant parents hoping the first contraction will come soon. The call could come any day now letting us know the location of Jeremy's relocation. There are 22 states to choose from and we don't have a clue what the likelihood is for any of them. For a chronic, obsessive list maker like myself this has been a difficult 17 months. I can't make a list about our new home if I don't know where it will be!!! Arrrghhhh! So, for 2 months now we've been expecting "The Call" any minute, our invitation to The Show, The Majors, The Big Time. We're all anxious to live together like a regular family again, to be able to tell people where we're moving when we get the daily "Do you know anything yet?" question, to settle the kids into a new town before school starts. But, for now, there's nothing to do but sit and wait and hope that our patience will pay off. Noah has 3 more days of school and after that we're ready to follow Jeremy wherever they send him...