Spin me right round

My thoughts are such a mess right now. I’ve had the mental spins all day and it’s making me a bit sick to my stomach.

I know that things are going to work out just fine, but I’m not looking forward to living out of a suitcase until I can permanently move to Minneapolis. A family friend very kindly offered to let me stay with her until the end of my lease (which expires February 28), so I’ll be camping with her during the week and then spending weekends at the old homestead. My aunt will do some packing and cleaning, but I’m sure I can get the majority of the work done on weekends over the next couple of months.

Also, I’m not looking forward to only seeing my little puppy only on weekends. It’s like some screwed-up version of supervised visitation. I love falling asleep to her little snores and waking up to her licking my face or barking that she needs to go outside – I’m going to miss that little booger something fierce. Gracie just had her second birthday on Thursday, but it feels like she’s been in my life for much, much longer. Momma love a puppy, you know?

Initially I was worried about leaving my aunt here by herself during the weekdays. She doesn’t have a car and even if she did, she doesn’t want to drive anymore – and truthfully, she shouldn’t have to. I was voicing my concerns to a friend at work, and we came to an agreement … she will stay here with my aunt and the dogs a few days a week, which will save her about $400 a month on gas (she currently drives almost 50 miles one way to work every day, unreal) and will provide my aunt with some company and me with some peace of mind. That was a huge load off my shoulders. Auntie won’t have to be here alone, my friend will save time and money by avoiding 100 miles a day commuting, I won’t feel like I abandoned anyone.

All the same, it will be good to have all my stuff in one place and be able to focus on work, friendships and getting back to feeling like myself again. I won’t lie – parts of this last year has been a struggle, but there’s finally a light at the end of the tunnel and I am reasonably sure it isn’t a train.

The trusty Dodge I got back in 2007 has gone the way of so many cars I’ve owned before. I’ve been having problems with wiring and battery stuff and just little pain-in-the-ass issues that kept cropping up. It was getting expensive, plus I never felt safe driving it on snow – and this year has been record-breaking when it comes to snowfall (this is where I would advocate clicking the “dislike” button if there was one). The only thing whiter than outside in Minnesota right now is an audience at a Pat Boone concert.

Anyway – I traded the Dodge in, talked the sales guy into giving me a little more than the thing was worth and drove off the lot in a 2011 Subaru Outback that had a whole 42 miles on the odometer. Merry Christmas from me, to me. My argument was that I need a reliable vehicle, one that is made for both safety and practicality but is also sporty enough to fit my personality. It’s a small SUV, has nothing but top safety ratings (my insurance premium actually went down $40 every six months, awesome!) gets good mileage, rides like a Cadillac and is big enough that I can sleep in it should I ever become homeless.

Kidding … mostly.

I’m looking forward to doing some camping next summer, and there’s just enough room in the back of this car with the seats folded down for a girl, her dog and maybe even a human companion, should any man be brave enough to tread those waters with me. Time will tell, my friends.

OK, I gotta get back to packing some clothes and miscellaneous stuff. Hope your holiday was peaceful and full of love, no matter how you celebrated it.

Been nice chatting with you, don’t be such a stranger!