Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Beam Me Up, Scotty!

I just gotta say it: SpaceBags rock! I put two queen-sized comforters into one bag, hooked up my vaccuum cleaner and sucked all the air out. It's now a neat and tiny package! So that means I'll be using more SpaceBags to pack up my linens and towels.

That's all.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

My View From the Lawn Chair

Well, I'm sitting here in my living room, writing from a lawn chair. Yes, a lawn chair. Earlier this evening, Kameron & Kiefer came over to help me take a bunch of stuff out to the curb. Wow! There's a lot of stuff out there right now: old couch, 3 crummy bookcases, old stereo stand, old entertainment center, etc., etc.. I wonder if any of it will get "picked" during the night. Otherwise, the trash men will not be pleased with me tomorrow. I think most of the furniture left in my house is the stuff that's going with me. K & K are going to come back over on Saturday to help me move the remaining things to the garage. They sure are a big help.

I still have a lot of packing to do, but without a lot of furniture in here, I'm sure I'll really make even more progress. Yesterday I realized that what I really need to do is get out the two suitcases I'll be taking with me when I fly and get those packed. Then, anything else either gets packed, pitched or given.

Last night the ladies from our Monday night Bible study had a going-away dinner for me. It was wonderful and sad, all at the same time. I really love each and every one of the ladies so much. They gave me a beautiful sweater and a set of dramatized CDs of the Bible. Very cool!

Thursday, July 16, 2009

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

I'm finally starting to see real, S.M.A.R.T. progress in the packing up of my house. Yes, I speak "Business". In fact, I am quite fluent and am hoping to become just as fluent in Spanish. So, just how is my progress SMART? Well, first, it's very Specific: I am packing up boxes, throwing junk away, giving stuff away and moving things to the garage. It's Measurable: just count the boxes or look at the empty spaces in my house. It's Attainable: I only have one house to pack. It's definitely Realistic: I'm moving. A normal part of the moving process is packing. And, finally, it's Timely: I mean, I have to be out of my house on July 31, so do I really have a choice? In fact, just to be an over achiever, I've set my own personal goal of being completely done by the evening of July 29 -- a full two days early. It's all part of my training to "under promise and over deliver".

After a proper amount of "due diligence", later today I am heading to Overland Park, to my friend Greg's house. Greg and I, along with his pickup truck, will head to Olathe to pick up a dresser and mirror from the Meekers. Then, we'll bring that to my house, drop it off in the garage, and pick up the waiting BBQ grill and accessories. They're heading to Bob's house in Parkville. I've routed us in the most efficient way possible so as to achieve a "maximum ROI". See, I told you I'm fluent in Business.

It's really starting to hit me that 29 years in Lawrence is quickly coming to an end. Wow! Has it really been 29 years? That would make me... Never mind.

In addition to the packing, I've been spending as much time as possible with friends, trying to make the most of the few remaining weeks I have here.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

The Times They Are a-Changin'...

With apologies to Bob Dylan, of course.

My house is an absolute mess. Moving is never really a pleasant experience, and preparing to move out of the country seems to be bringing an additional level of stress. But, I really do sense God's grace in all of this. This morning I brought my packed boxes (there are only 8 so far) out to the garage. My thinking is that if I begin to see boxes and furniture piled in the garage, it will be like a kick in the butt and I'll start making more progress. Then, I took all of my spices out of the cabinet and packed most of them into a box. I'll finish up the rest of the spices shortly (Tonight, I promise!) and then wipe out the cabinet. If I do a little each day, I should get it all done in time. Well, I don't really have any choice.

Like many others, I've been following the political situation in Honduras. Unlike many others, I have a little more at stake in the outcome. My prayer is that God's will is done in Honduras.

I will be updating this site much more frequently now, but if you ever think it's been too long since my last post, let me know.