Move complete!

We've been very remiss in posting, but are here now for many updates. Our move across the country has more or less come to a close. We are currently living with Eric's mom and step-dad in Stillwater. In the next few weeks, we plan to move some of our stuff back into the condo, just in time to live there after the wedding.

Although there were some anxiety-inducing moments when we didn't know when the movers would come (among others), in the end, the boxes were packed and sealed, the movers took them and put them on a big moving van, and we high-tailed it out of Cambridge as quickly as absolutely possible. As in, the movers finished at 5p.m. and we locked the door to our place at 5:17, I think.


Poor Murphy wasn't prepared for the trip and had a couple of accidents before we even got on the turnpike, but some quick thinking and resourcefulness on Eric's and my part (and the loss of not one, but two Purr Pads) got us back on the road with only about a half an hour of lost time.

Our first night we spent in Syracuse, NY -- which was almost Utica... I was using our handy-dandy new GPS to find hotels in the Syracuse area, made a reservation at the Syracuse Red Roof Inn, and then accidentally selected the Utica Red Roof Inn as our new destination. When we got there 20 minutes later (instead of the hour we anticipated -- "gosh that was fast...") and I walked in, confident that this was where we were staying that night, the man at the front desk informed me he hadn't taken any reservations all night, and I couldn't possibly have one with them. ...At which point, we thought to ask if there was a Syracuse location. Of course there was. Yep. I felt pretty stupid. So 45 minutes later we finally stopped for the night. Huge props to Red Roof Inn -- they were the only hotel I could find in the entire area that would accept pets -- and they didn't even charge for them! Our kitties made themselves right at home and settled in for the night. After watching some Olympics (Michael Phelps won a medal that night!), so did we.

Bright and early the next morning we loaded up on our last taste of Dunkin Donuts and hit the road for Chicago. The weather was perfect and clear the whole way -- we couldn't have asked for better driving weather. Our kitties are total travel troopers too -- no need for bathroom breaks or walks -- as if to say, "Just keep on drivin' mama!" :) We got to Eric's aunt and uncle's house just in time for dinner -- Uncle Jerry made some super delicious chicken wings on the grill and a bunch of yummy salads. After eating road food for two days, and non-homemade food for longer than that, it was so nice to have a home-cooked meal.

The next morning Eric, Kerri, Randy (Eric's cousins), and I went to Portillo's for lunch. And it was so amazing. They not only make some of the best Chicago-style hot dogs I've had, but they also have this amazing, decadent (and totally sinful) chocolate cake shake. Whoa.


We left shortly after that, arriving at home in Stillwater before sunset -- which is good, because somewhere along the way from Massachusetts to Minnesota we realized we were sporting one headlight. Darn car and its darn repairs...