Keepin' It Rollin'

The Great Western Move of 2018 continues.

When you move, you really want to get all your stuff in the back of the truck, drive to your new house, and unload it all. Even that is a challenge, but you add in an infant, two pit stops for more unloading and loading, AND a nail in the moving truck's tire, and you have one hellish move.

The nail was in the tire when we picked the truck up from Enterprise. A. noticed the soft tire (but not the nail yet) and asked them to check on it before we took the truck. They filled the tire, but didn't see the nail. A. saw it two hours down the road when we were stopped at a gas station.

Four hours later (nationwide chains are not my favorite), we finally had a new tire. This meant that instead of getting to our house in the north at 2 p.m. to load the truck, we got there at 6 p.m. And then spent the next five hours loading the truck (mostly A.) and finishing packing the house, plus cleaning (mostly me).

For those keeping track, that meant we worked until 11 p.m. And then Poppy inexplicably decided she was done sleeping for awhile exactly as we moved the mattress into the living room to sleep at 11:05 p.m.

So basically, there was no sleep on Thursday night.

At six the next morning, we were back at it, finally finishing up in a mad rush at exactly 11 a.m. The truck was completely full and not all that carefully arranged*. We booked it back to Blackrock (no nails this time, hooray), getting back at 5:30 p.m.

After a life-saving dinner the MiL had made--food was not the priority during our northern moving blitz--we started unloading a third of the truck with things that are staying at Blackrock. But first we had to take out all the miscellaneous things that had been piled in front of the rugs and beds and A.'s work papers that had to come out. And then we had to put all those miscellaneous things back in.

I say "we," but it was mostly A., while I dealt with our frankly hysterical children and tried to direct A. regarding what was staying and what was going.

He finished at 9:30 p.m.

At 9 a.m., he and Cubby started off for their drive to New Mexico. They're due to stop in Wisconsin at 11 a.m. tomorrow morning to pick up furniture at my aunt and uncle's house, before continuing to New Mexico.

I will not be there to help with the unloading, obviously--and I can't say I'm sorry about that--but I contacted the secretary at the school to ask if there were any high school kids who might want to earn some money helping A. with the furniture that requires two people. She gave me the number of our neighbor, who has both a husband and a son who can help.

Yay for small towns.

So the moving continues, although my part of it is over for now. Until we get to New Mexico and I have to unpack all the very-hastily "packed" boxes and bags, and find places for it all.

But I won't think about that now. I'll think about it then.

Godspeed, A. and Cubby. May the road rise up to meet you and the nails stay out of your tires.

* One reason it was so full is because when you move from a rural area, there is no leaving things for the trash collection or for free for neighbors. Not enough neighbors and no trash collection. It all, including the bags of garbage, had to go in the truck.

Friday Food: The Moving Edition

Friday

Short version: Grilled Italian sausage and onions, grilled bread, green peas

Long version: I had already done the serious scrubbing of the stove, so I was trying to minimize kitchen cooking. Grill to the rescue!

Saturday

Short version: Scrambled eggs, tortillas with cheese (and deli ham, for those who like ham), carrot sticks

Long version: Cooking until the bitter end, yes. This was our last family dinner in our house up north.

Sunday

Short version: Car food

Long version: We were driving at dinnertime, so everyone ate some combination of the peanut butter bread, cheese, apples, peanuts, cashews, carrot sticks, Fritos, and lollipops I had packed for the car trip. Thus, no one was hungry for the ham, rice, and (garden!) peas the MiL had waiting for us when we rolled up to Blackrock at 7:30 p.m. Although Cubby did manage a plate of rice and peas at about 8:30 p.m.

He's a good eater, that Cubby. Also, bedtime? What bedtime?

Summertime rules for kids.

Monday

Short version: Steaks, potatoes, crispy garlic scapes, green salad

Long version: Three broiled steaks, a big pot of boiled potato chunks (purposely making enough for leftovers), and a big mess of garlic scapes sauteed in olive oil until they were a little crispy.

Crispy garlic scapes are a happy thing. So, so good.

The salad had lettuce from the MiL's garden, and beets and cucumbers she got from the farmers market here. It's nice to be back in the land of easily obtainable vegetables.

Tuesday

Short version: Signature skillet casserole, leftover steak and rice

Long version: Can I claim to have signature skillet casseroles now after outlining my famous chicken skillet casserole*? Sure I can. This one was diced onion, leftover ham, carrots, leftover garlic scapes, rice, and cheddar cheese. Tasty.

The leftover steak and rice was for Charlie, who is not a ham eater, but then A. ended up finishing all the leftovers of both meals, so I guess it was a good thing we had both.

Wednesday

Short version: Scrambled eggs, fried leftover potatoes, cucumbers

Long version: We were supposed to tag along with A. for errands in the Small City and then eat at the Chinese buffet (gross, but everyone but me likes it). But then Charlie wasn't feeling great, so A. went and we stayed home. Thus, last-minute food it is.

Thursday

Short version: Grocery store rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes, fresh mozzarella

Long version: A., Poppy, and I left Blackrock at 7:30 a.m. to pick up the moving truck and drive up to our house up north to load it up.

The moving crew at the optimistic beginning of our journey.

We were supposed to arrive at the house around 2 p.m. Thanks to a nail in a tire (I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT), we didn't make it here until 6 p.m. We stopped at a grocery store on the way to get the store-prepared chicken and potatoes, plus the mozzarella for A.

The food wasn't very good, but it was far from the worst part of the day.

We're still up north, and we still have things to put in the truck. I have some anxiety that it's not all going to fit, though I suppose it will just have to. Allll the fingers are crossed.

Okay, your turn! What'd you eat this week?

* Famous because someone (hi, Linda!) actually made it based on the sketchy description I gave of it, and, even more amazing, actually liked the result. I'm pretty sure the Food Network will be calling me for my own show any day now.

As If We Never Left

Laundry on the clothesline . . .

Deer bones on the front porch . . .

Mulberries on the tree (and Charlie's face) . . .

Squirrels in the attic . . .

 And children on the lakeshore.

Yup. Definitely back at Blackrock.

Here's the Plan

The house is mostly packed up. I even brought most of the stuff out to the barn already, so we can just back the moving truck up to the barn and wheel it all up the ramp. Theoretically. I know there will be a few boxes of randomness that I'm gonna just throw in at the last minute, but hey! I mostly did it, while working around insane end-of-year school craziness and four little kids and all their incessant needs.

Where's my medal?

So here's what's going to happen*.

Today I got all the suitcases packed with the clothes we will need for a month at Blackrock.

Tomorrow morning we're going to get the cars all packed up and ready to go before church. After church is over at noon, we'll come back to the house to pick up the geriatric collie and then hit the road for Blackrock in both our cars.

We'll be at Blackrock until Thursday, during which time I will be packing up yet more things that never made it up to this house.

Early Thursday morning, me, A., and Poppy will leave the boy children with their Grandma and pick up the moving truck to bring it up north, load it, clean the house, and go back to Blackrock on Friday. (That all sounds so simple in that one sentence. It will not be simple.)

At Blackrock, we'll unload the things that belong there (mostly rugs), load up the things I packed from there, and A. will--we hope--leave somewhat early on Saturday to start the drive to New Mexico. Possibly with Cubby along for company.

He'll make a pit stop at my aunt and uncle's house in Wisconsin to pick up some furniture that my grandfather made decades ago and that no one else in the family is using at the moment, and then continue driving until he arrives at our new house.

He and Cubby will unload the truck, then turn around and drive back to New York in the truck, arriving within ten days of picking it up. (This ended up being cheaper than a one-way truck rental and airfare.)

And then, sometime at the end of July, the whole family will drive out to New Mexico together for good.

This is not the most uncomplicated move, but we wouldn't want to make it easy on ourselves or anything.

Okay. You ready for this? Me neither. But the only way out is through, so here we go!

* As if this matters for any of you. But it makes me feel better to write it out.

Friday Food: Prepare for a Shocker

Amusingly enough, the shocker is not that the kids ate another beaver tail. That's unremarkable at this point.

Friday

Short version: We went out to eat.

STOP THE PRESSES.

Long version: Charlie graduated from kindergarten Friday morning (but still had to go to school this week, which he was displeased about), so we went to the diner to celebrate. Of course, the guest of honor didn't think anything on the large menu sounded good except grilled cheese. I had made him grilled cheese for lunch, but I figured, whatever, it's his party.

Then he discovered the restaurant grilled cheese had "the gross cheese" that he hates--Kraft singles--so he didn't want that, either. He traded his sandwich for a few of Cubby's french fries and two shrimp, then came home and ate apples and cheese and yogurt.

I didn't even order anything, instead having a few bites of A.'s fries and then coming home to eat cold leftover sweet potatoes and chili meat.

So basically, we fail at eating out.

Graduation picture!

Cubby had a field trip this day, which is why it's just the five of us. "Just." Ha.

Saturday

Short version: Fish fry, tacos, Mexican slaw, carrots

Long version: A. and Cubby went fishing in the afternoon, returning with five fish (I think four trout and one perch).

And here they are. They stuck terribly to this stainless steel skillet, leading A. to proclaim, "Let this be a lesson to you, children: ALWAYS COOK IN CAST IRON." Amen.

Jack insisted on helping A. cook the fish, despite the very real danger of spitting bacon grease.

Three-year-olds can do everything by themselves, as they will tell you at any opportunity.

Cubby caught three of the fish, and stated somewhat petulantly during all this picture-taking, "Of course you won't take a picture of the person who caught the fish."

So I did, and this is the result.

Tinkertoy ninja CHOP.

Cubby ate so much fish he didn't want any tacos, but everyone else ate them. I made them by the simple method of browning ground beef and dumping in leftover chili (which was mostly sauce at that point.) Boom: Instant taco meat.

Sunday

Short version: Cliched steak, mashed potatoes, sauteed mushrooms and green garlic, raw radishes, green peas

Long version: Is it a rule that you have to have steak on Father's Day? Probably not, but it's pretty much A.'s favorite meat, and I found some rib eyes and T-bones (multiple, yes--A. can eat A LOT of steak) on deep discount last week, which I froze in anticipation of this very day. I grilled them. Happy Carnivore Daddy.

Monday

Short version: Pasta with meat sauce, cucumber, hamburgers

Long version: I had half a can of tomatoes left from making the chili, plus a couple of cups of frozen leftover pasta sauce, so I combined them with some leftover ground beef for a meat sauce.

I made the pasta almost all the way at 7:45 in the morning, because our forecast was for well over 80 with high humidity, the A/C is still not working, and I had to spend a few hours at the school in the middle of the day hauling Jack and Poppy around to a couple of end-of-year events. I knew I would be tired, hot, and not happy about cooking by dinnertime. So I made the sauce and pasta early and stuck it in the refrigerator. At dinnertime I reheated it with some added milk and beef stock from the freezer, stirred in some green peas and added grated Parmesan at the end.

None of the boys were interested in the cucumber until I cut it into four pieces the entire length and handed them each an 8-inch-long cucumber spear. Then they were all about it. I suspect Freud would have a lot to say about that.

Then A. came home from his trip earlier than expected, so I made him some hamburgers from more of the ground beef. And then it stormed and finally cooled down a little, alleluia.

Tuesday

Short version: Beaver tail appetizer, rotten pork tenderloin, fried potatoes, bacon, scrambled eggs, green salad with ranch dressing, grilled garlic bulbs

Long version: The beaver tail has been in the freezer over a year. Not even wrapped up, just a scaly, naked beaver tail hanging out on the top shelf of the upright freezer. Well, we wouldn't want to waste it, now would we? So A. cooked it on the grill and handed it over to the feral boy children, who devoured it in short order.

When I opened the pork tenderloin to cook it, it smelled bad to me. I checked the "good until" date, which was still several days in the future. I remembered reading somewhere that vacuum packed meat can off-gas when it's opened, so I thought maybe that's what it was. But after it was grilled, it still smelled bad. I tasted a bit. It tasted bad. I made A. taste a bit. (Nice of me, I know.) He said it tasted bad.

Great.

Onto plan B: Bacon and eggs. I had already made garlic scape butter to put on the now-trashed pork, so I used some of that to cook the eggs, because flexibility is the hallmark of a good cook.

Actually, not cooking rotten meat is probably the hallmark of a good cook, but whatever.

Wednesday

Short version: Cornell chicken, beefy rice with chive flowers, pan-fried sweet potatoes, salad with ranch dressing

Long version: I sauteed the rice with the rest of the green garlic butter from the night before, then cooked it in the last of the beef broth I found in the freezer, and then added chive flowers when the rice was done.

I actually like the flowers better than the chives themselves, for the simple reason that you don't need a knife to prep the flowers. You just twist the base of the flower off and the individual little florets or whatever are the right size to use. Neat.

Thursday

Short version: Grilled pork chops, rice, more pan-fried sweet potatoes, green peas

Long version: I had just a bit of mustard left in a bottle, so I shook it up with some vinegar and oil and covered the pork chops with that to marinate. They were kind of dry and bland when I tasted the thinnest one after it was done, though, so I spread some mayonnaise and salt on them while the rest were finishing up on the grill. Still bland.

We had to put barbecue sauce on them at the table.

Mediocre Dinners 'R' Us.

Okay, your turn! What'd you eat this week?

The Snotty, Itchy Icing on the Stress Cake

What this week of finishing up school and packing up a house for a cross-country move needed was a few kids with a cold. Plus a kid with poison ivy all over his legs. You know, for maximum sleep deprivation and general misery.

Oh well. Could be worse. They could all be throwing up. (Knocking on alllll the wood now. Good thing we live in the middle of the woods.)

An Inspirational Quote

Okay. We're at T minus 6 days before we leave this house. I am . . . not all packed. I don't even have the boxes I need to get packed at the moment.

Hold me.

But! In the course of random Internet surfing this morning--which is of course what I should be doing instead of the five million things that will actually assist me in moving in an organized fashion--I came across a helpful quote*. Allow me to share in the hopes that it might help someone else out there.

Life is like a roller coaster: Sometimes all you can do is hang on and try not to puke.

Sometimes the universe sends us just what we need, doesn't it?

* I'm not sure if quote is the appropriate term, as I highly doubt this can be attributed to an actual person.