The Saga Begins

Melissa and C.O. were just so excited to pack up the U-Haul trailer. The day that we went to get the trailer it of course is a tropical storm the remenants of one of the many hurricanes that came thru. Finding out that you had to purchase a special harness for the van so that it would work. (Not to mention that earlier in the day when we really wanted to get the u-haul, the van wouldn't start!) So C.O. is just loving it being soaked to the bone hooking up a harness and then buying an adapter for the harness so that the light would work properly on the u-haul. Then he gets to go and hitch up the u-haul trailer in about 3 inches of water, no biggee. So then we head home, knowing that we won't get the loading process started until late in the day, but wait! There is a river in the middle of the road! Near our old house is a park next to a creek that constantly becomes inundated with water, and this our direct rout home! So one detour later we put the trailer in the garage and put in a few things, just to feel like we were accomplishing something, and get the kids fed and down while Melissa and C.O. continue that frenzied day before the move ritual....AAAAAAHHHHHHAHAHAHHHAHAHA!!!!!!!
We tried, of course, to get started early. Well seeing that we were trying pack all the rest of our wordly goods in a 6x8x12 foot u-haul and the back of our van, posed a daunting assignment. We started the process and we were making headway but considering that our closing was at 3pm we had an uphill fight. Thank goodness that some friends, Liz and Roger Zerne, were waiting until the last minute to pick-up the couch that they had bought. They had pity on us and started helping. Then seeing the task ahead was going to be long Roger took the rest of the day off and they both stayed and help (Thanks Guys!). We would not have finished any where near on time. So we get the van and and the u-haul stuffed, take some things to our neighbors, Chris and Melissa's, and we are ready at 2:45pm. WOW! Our last image of the house that we are leaving is of Melissa our neighbor, sweeping the kitchen our for us as we race off.
We get to the office for the closing thinking we go in sign and the get check and then go and get the kids, who by the way are with Kattie first then go with Berna to Chucky Cheese's, WRONG!
We get to the office and there is a delay. We wait about an hour before things have become arranged and then we sign and get check! OK money (check anyway) in hand we go to the bank to deposit and prepare to go, WRONG. The bank tells us that since we are new customers and since the check is for a sizable chunk of change it would be 11 DAYS before the check cleared! That was INSANE! We were not sure what to do but we still had a schedule to keep and had to get on the road.
We stopped and had a bite to eat at Chucky Cheese's with the kids and Clyde and Berna (Thanks you two). Then Clyde and C.O. tried to figure out why the lights on the u-haul would not work. Finally we figured out that the HARNESS that cost money and was brand new was defective, but we were able to fix it. So about 8pm we finally hit the road to Ohio and Melissa's mom.
Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter.