Yikes - it's happened. 1st major flip out of this adventure. Am exhausted from repairing, painting and cleaning my 4BR house to get it ready to rent. Have been up at 5:30am and go to bed at 1am. Finally caught up with me - unprepared for something for 4th of July (Katie's 2st Birthday - Hooray!!) and just flipped out...EMOville. Took me a while to get a grip and realize that it all had to do with Leaving it All Behind for 2 years with the Peace Corps. Yes - my dream... Have recovered some semblance of sanity, but will recount the crazies:
Matt and Michele returned to help me - installed smoke alarms, loaded lots of furniture for them to take, along with bicycles and mini stereos. The garage is being reclaimed!
Had told property manager that I was ready for photographer, but hadn't heard anything. Katie stopped by to help me through EMOville - lunch and jeans shopping - and, when we returned, there were the property dude and the photographer! This was 4:30 and I was to go to the movies with Katie and Dave at 6pm...
The house looked pretty good, except for my packing piles (a bag for visiting Ashley in NYC this week; a bag for the Philippines, a box for storage and a box for Goodwill). I crazily moved crap from one room while he shot the photos, and then moved them back so he could take the other room. When I got to my room, I just threw (literally) everything into the closets and closed the door - beautiful shots of the house (http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/apa/1823596382.html), but I was a wreck - and it was after 6pm. More EMOville with Katie and Dave (but saw a great 3D movie of Toy Story 3).
The following day I was a basket case - especially when the agent called to say he was showing the place in 2 hours (wait - didn't the pictures just get taken?).
OH NO! That meant I had to take everything out of the closets where I had thrown them and at least make neat piles. Whew!
The flip out: 4th of July at Ro and Judy's (25 years worth) had always been our family party for Katie as well as our neighbor's celebration, and my flip out was finding out 2 days before the party that Dave's girlfriend was coming. Most days could have talked myself through it, but felt sabotaged - and especially vulnerable now that I was leaving...too many emotions...EMOville big time. Lots of hurt feelings, but Roland's 80th (and Katie's 21st) was wonderful. I gave a loving speech about Roland's impact on our lives.
Woke up tired emotionally today, but have resumed packing up into the 4 piles. Have to go get a PO Box in San Mateo so that Alexis and Judy can get any mail that is important while I'm gone. Also have to get the last of my Hep B shots and probably a Shingles shot - and the 3 months of medications that you have to take with you while you're in training. After the 3 months, the Peace Corps takes care of you.
Still need to get a knife (Swiss Army type) and sandals, but have most everything else. Actually want to buy a couple pair of the new wicking-underwear that are supposedly perfect for the tropics.
More goodbye lunches and dinners this week...and planning my Send Off Party on August 14th at the UUFRC...did get Little Brown Brother - a Filipino band to play that night, and Grace Furci, who taught with me in SSF, will teach us Tagalog and Ilocano. Hope that it will be a fun night,!
