Slow Viewing and Moving Experiences

Well, the view from the trailing edge is farther out of focus than usual. The Spence family moved a distance of several miles from temporary (leased) to permanent (bank-owned) housing-with-office-space. Theoretically, the move occurred on June 29. In point of actual fact, the move began in mid-June and is still under way. Naturally, the usual conditions apply:

• Dates on the calendar are closer than they appear.
• Contents of boxes trade places in the night.
• Keys, power cords, and other critical items step briefly into the Twilight Zone only to re-appear when someone else is looking for them.
• Important events such as the birthdays of yours truly and of our nation get mired in the maze of boxes.
• Much is owed to the kindness of strangers - especially the telephone and cable installation techs who went above and beyond the call of duty.

All sentient life consists of having experiences and learning lessons from them. Yep, we always learn from experience. The trouble comes from learning the wrong lesson. So you be the judge (because the learner is incapable of guessing the appropriateness of the lesson learned) - this is what Sam and Sherry have learned so far:

1. No matter how tired you get, you can still muster up enough energy to blame the other person for the current source of your irritation.
2. When exhausted and hungry, it is better to leave and go to a restaurant for an hour or so than to reaffirm the truth of lesson 1.
3. Before leaving for a restaurant - other than a cardiac-condition-enhancing-drive-through - check each other over for cuts, rips, and unusually large or strategically placed stains.
4. Do not tease your partner about any slip-up, breakage, or strategically placed stain; these are not laughing matters.
5. There is a place for everything, and if you look everywhere, you will find it.
6. "Everywhere" is an area that exceeds the square footage of your new home by some unknown and variable amount.
7. Make frequent stops for hugs and back-rubs.
8. All agreements on furniture placement or item storage are subject to change without notice.
9. Time estimates are the work of the devil; do not heed them.
10. Keep your sense of humor with you at all times; otherwise, it'll take months to find it.

I would say more, but we're leaving for a restaurant.