The Move! More Humbling than Horrible

Wow, it feels like it's been a while since I've last blogged. A lot has happened since last Wednesday, June 26th. Be sure to check out that blog. SMH.

Let's see, where should I begin!

Let's start with my final, final interview. I went in and was given a scenario on paper. I had to write what I was going to do about it, what I would recommend, and my next steps. The same guy that was interviewing for the same position was there before me. I was like, "oh no, he has a head start". Anyway, I finish what I was going to write and happened to glance over to this guy and he is over there writing a book. He wrote in small handwriting on the front, back and the sides (if he could). I shook my head and turned in my notes. The principal debriefed with me for about 10-15 minutes. I leave his office and the guy is still writing his book. I was like, what is he writing? I shook my head and left.

I so happened to keep my heels on, because they didn't hurt and it was too many people around to switch to my sneakers. As I am walking to the train station, I pass a few older guys, probably in their 40's or 50's. I'm not sure if they were drinking beer at noon or not, but 'do what you do'. They decide it was a good idea to comment on how nice my legs were. If you've been reading my blogs, you should know...I didn't even acknowledge that there were even humans speaking at that moment. I honed in on that train station, kept my head straight and my eyes on the prize. The safety of the station. They took my ignoring them as a sign to keep commenting, all three of them.

Guy 1: "Man, those are some nice legs".

Guy 2: "Yeah, man, you sho is right. Look at those legs"

Guy 3: "Hot dog, my God, yes, Niiiiiccceee legs."  

If I was a little lighter, I would have been red. My legs were hot and I was mad that I hadn't learned about wearing dresses in New York, just yet. I make it to the street and OF COURSE the light is RED and a car was coming. My legs at this point were burning, because I could feel their Clark Kent, super red beams, x-ray vision on my legs. I'm sure the hair was singed off immediately and the vaseline started to heat and burn. I could only walk so fast in the heels, but when that light turned green, I was OUT. As I'm crossing the street, this woman passes me and said, "You do have some nice legs". At this point, I busted out laughing. She continued to say, "they were making such a big deal and they're right". I just shook my head , said thanks and ran to the station, to change into my sneakers.

As I'm waiting for the right train to come, several trains have come and gone - dropping off passengers and then going out of service. This little girl gets off one of the trains, with I assume her mother, and is whining really loud. The guy who was walking behind them yells, "SHUT UP". I thought he might have known them, but the way the mom, the girl and the other person in their party looked at him, let me know - Uh, he was a complete and irritated stranger. The parents or adults with the girl did not dare say anything to the man, because 1) the girl shut up,  2) he might have told them to shut up and 3) he started stomping his way through the platform, with purpose. Like, he was sick and tired, of being sick and tired. I trailed back, because I thought to myself - I will not be his next victim. Nope, not over here. He started walking around the columns, making faces, talking under his breath and I guess one guy looked at him strangely and he said in a loud voice, "WHAT". I then slowed my pace, hid behind another column and eyed him from a distance.  He was highly upset and nobody was with him to calm that thing down. I didn't finish my self-defense classes, so I stuck with my normal New York evasive behavior.  The column!

I was walking down the street and a delivery guy pulled up next to a restaurant on his bicycle. He hopped off the bike, stood in the middle of the sidewalk and extended both arms in the air. Then he leaned to the side and I realize he was stretching. He had on biker shorts and a tight tee, like he used to be a wrestler or something along those lines. He wasn't built like one anymore, but he was sure in the middle of the sidewalk lifting up his one leg to touch his butt to stretch his quads. I had to stop, because he literally was in my way. I was hoping he did not do that on purpose, as I was an entire head taller than him. Not only that, but I wanted to kick his bike down, and see how he likes someone disrupting his mode of transportation. Who does that? Park your bike and start stretching in the middle of the sidewalk. I looked at him, like, "if you don't move out of my way". I did a sidestep past him and gave a wave of the hand - like the cops do, "nothing to see here, folks. Keep it moving." Just ridiculous.

I drove to Maryland on Thursday night, because I was scheduled to move on Saturday. So, I knew I would have a full weekend. It was so good to sleep in the confines of my own clean house. I took the no-toll roads and arrived home around 1:30 in the morning, even though I left at 7pm. Whatever, I made it and slept GOOD!

Friday was a full day, as I had many errands to run! I hadn't heard back about the job, so I emailed them to see what was up. I then received an email back, stating that I did not get the job. 4 interviews and I did not get the job. I had a feeling the guy was going to get it, but I was wondering if he got it because he wrote a thesis for a write-up or because he was a guy. Then I thought, if they wanted me to write a thesis for every write-up, he needed the job, because I wouldn't be doing that. I like to keep it short, sweet and to the point.  But now he has a job and I don't! My mom reminded me about my pet peeves with organizations and how I wouldn't have liked to work there. She was right and I would have been upset, but as of now, I still don't have a job! Hmm?

So, this was how my day started! No job, meaning no apartment, meaning  I did not need to rent a truck to take me from Maryland to Brooklyn. Tears acted like they wanted to come, but I had to simmer down. U-Haul sent me a confirmation email, secured my 14' truck so that I could drop it off where I picked it up on the same day. Meaning, that I had to go to a local storage facility and rent some space. The guy started telling me the prices for the space and I looked at him and more tears acted like they wanted to come. No time to cry! Earlier I went to my old job and my old boss gave me an air conditioner, because she's been reading the blog and knows I've been melting in my cell night after night! At first I was like, "oh no". Then, I thought about it like, "hello, genius - you'll at least have an air conditioned cell". SMH

One of my old students and her mother had promised to help me pack and for some reason recently, I started to take people up on their offers.  It's humbling! They came over and basically packed my house! They stayed till midnight, she brought her other daughter and friend over and they worked, we talked, laughed and packed. This really ended my Friday on a good note, because I needed that.

My truck was supposed to be available at 4:15 pm on Saturday afternoon. Then I received a follow-up email from U-Haul, stating that they wanted to confirm my reservation to pick up my 14' truck on Sunday at 3:30pm. Thank God, I read it! I immediately called and started laying into them. I received a confirmation text, two confirmation emails and then somebody switches my day. The guy says, "Well, ma'am, we don't have any trucks available". I said, "You better find one. I have a guaranteed reservation, I need to move TODAY and I need a truck TODAY, not SUNDAY!" He put his manager on the phone at this point, who told me he would call around to find me a truck. After, I ate my sandwich, took a shower and got dressed, I was still on hold. Totaling 1 hour and 4 minutes. I hung up, called back and began to lay into them again. They must have known it was me, because they put a woman on the phone who transferred me to their corporate headquarters. Tears started to form in my eyes again and I begin to think, what is going on?

I'm on the phone with the U-Haul corporate office, I explained it to the lady and she got MAD with the local office.  She told me that the general manager changed it, she was going to put it back, called them and told them, they better not change it again. At this point, my brothers were already on thier way to Maryland and I'm thinking, if they come all the way down here and I don't have a truck - we are going to have a problem. I tell my brothers and they meet me at U-haul at 4:00pm. They looked hot and bothered and I was already heated. None of us were in the mindset to hold any of us back, if they said there were no trucks available. It was about to go down. Forget that there were 6 trucks in the lot.

We go in and I tell them I have a reservation. The guy behind the counter, says, "oh, yes, we have that ready for you". I sigh a sigh of relief. We all did, because it was really about to go down. Then he shows me on the little kiosk how much it would be and then he says, well, "we charge $1.59 a mile". I immediately correct him and say, "No, I was quoted $1.29 a mile". He looks, all wise and otherwise (as my grandma would say) and I look back at him the same way. I happened to look on the kiosk and it said  $1.29. So, I point it out to him and he says, "oh it must be some sort of special."  I'm thinking, "it's special alright". I take a picture of the kiosk and he starts laughing, talking about that's a first. I said, "Uh, I'm not messing with ya'll (pointing to the store - U-Haul) - ya'll don't have your stuff together and you won't get me". I then start taking pictures of everything and I almost took one of him. That's a messy organization. I boycotted U-haul 10 years ago and I'm about to do it again!

My brothers are "ROCK STARS" - they moved the big stuff out first (just the two of them) and we made a trip to the storage place. They unloaded and I went back to finish packing. It was around 9pm, when we realized, the storage place closes at 10pm. So, we start throwing things in there and ride off around 9:30. We unloaded and then it hit me, that since we have to put a code in to use the elevator - at 10pm, it'll probably shut down. Man, you would have thought we were the men of steel. Somehow we loaded everything that was in the truck and put it all in the elevator within 6 minutes. Hopping over lamps, throwing blankets, shoes, buckets, and at 9:57pm, they were headed downstairs.  It's funny, because people go to trainings to learn how to work together as a team, but I don't think either of us said two words the entire time. We just fell into place and did what needed to be done. It was the epitome of teamwork. I know we are family, but it was really something to see and I really appreciated that I could count on them. No arguing, no fussing, no controlling, just handling business. When we finished, the only thing left was the broom. So I used that to sweep out the U-haul truck! They charge extra for any dirt you leave! Thieves!

We had to finish some other errands and they headed home around 2 in the morning. I wouldn't have been able to do it without them and once again - while in the most horrible circumstances- we were able to accomplish our task, laugh, eat, laugh some more and have fun. Another great way to end a horrible day! I went to sleep on my blow-up mattress and loved every minute of it!

On Sunday, my alarm rang at 6:30am in the morning - because I had a hair appointment at 7:30 am. I made it there and back, in time for the cleaners to clean the house and carpet. Well, my tenant had already started moving some of the big items in the house on Sunday morning, while I was out. I didn't see a problem with it, but the cleaning guy comes and said, I can't clean with this stuff in the house. This is supposed to be a move-out. I said, "I don't understand". He goes on to explain that he can't clean around the stuff that they moved in. All that was in the house at this point was a dresser, a sofa and a mattress. I'm like, "no, I don't understand". He then goes upstairs, there are two rooms that are completely cleared out. A small dresser was in the master bedroom and the sofa was in the living room. I explained to him, that these can be moved. He says, well anytime we need them moved we'll have to call you. I was like, "WHAT?" This makes no sense. I said, "You know , sir, what are you saying you won't do the job". He nods his head yes and I said, "goodbye". That was the dumbest thing I think I heard that day!. You lose out on money, because what? This time, no tears. I just told my tenant, who was cool, she called around and found someone to clean the carpet and the house. I gave her the money I was going to give them and that was done! Absolutely crazy.

My Co-Pastor stopped by the house to pick up something and we went out to dinner. We stayed there for hours, I think, talked, laughed, gasps and laughed some more. It was another great way to end a horrible day. It made me miss Maryland and the family that I've come to love and cherish, but just like regular family - we'll always stay in touch! I'll never forget those moments, lessons and what it feels like to be apart of something bigger than yourself.

I go back to my townhouse to give my final goodbye. I start to tear up a little bit more, because I absolutely love that place. When I first walked in, I said - this is mine! I didn't want to look anywhere else, I wanted that house.  It was perfect for me and everything I wanted in a home. My tenant said, "Oh, you'll be back in a year." I'm like, "No, I won't be back here and if I do come back, I doubt it will be here." It was like another chapter of my life had closed as I stood on the steps. Just like at my old job, now my old house house - it's time to go to another chapter. While, I know for sure those chapters have closed, I have no idea what the next chapter has in store for me. However, no matter what my circumstance, my situation, the outcome, the agony, even the tears - I know I'll be okay. God has never let me down and I know He won't start now. During the past three days, things that could have disrupted the entire process or did disrupt it, ended with people that have been put in my life  strategically to help and lift me up and they did not even know. This walk is purposeful and it's not in vain. I just have to endure - it's going to be worth it - Just keep reading!

As I was driving back to New York on Sunday evening, I was operating on very little sleep. I decide to do the no-toll roads and my ETA to the Bronx at 10:30 pm wound up being 12:30am. Around 10:30 pm, I became very tired and I had listened to all the music I felt like listening to on my iPhone. I searched for some audio books, but I had listened to them all as well. So, I pulled over and attempted to search for some more Audiobooks to keep me up. As I try to download it, a message pops up that says, you need to have Wifi access in order to download the audiobook. So, I take the exit in York, PA and notice a couple of Inns. Well, one read, Inn and the other read, motel. I stopped at the motel first and park outside to see if they have free wifi. I start to see some shady characters come out of the rooms,  I then remembered I was at a motel and decided to go to the Inn.  I drive into the Inn and park outside of the main office. I found two free wifi connections, so I connect and start to download the book. It kept dropping the connection because it was the connection was so low. I then say, fine - let me get some coffee and try to make it home that way. I get back on the turnpike and I see a Holiday Inn. I know they have wifi, so I make a mad dash across four lanes to get to the side of the road near the Holiday Inn and "WAH lah" - there was a connection. It wasn't strong, but the audiobook started to download. Then it said it would take 64 minutes for the first one to download. I contemplated for 10 minutes on what I should do. Get out the car and get closer to the hotel? Drive through the grass and risk getting stuck? Then I thought better of it and figured there were probably snakes in the grass and if someone caught me tiptoeing through the grass with my phone in the air in York, PA - there could be a misunderstanding. So, I said to myself, "Self, wake up and go home!

Week 4 - Monday started off just fine and on my way back to my cell, I saw a nun reading on the train. She had a pin on her collar that read, ”School stress makes me want to put a #2 pencil through my temple". I wanted to say, "Really, sister? Is that some sort of inside joke. I know what you mean, but is that a good look for a nun. Y'all are supposed to be calm, cool and collected". I thought better of it and read my own book.  

WE HAVE TO SET A NEW COUNTDOWN - 30 DAYS!