Diary of a Bad PCS

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June 4, 2018

Dear Diary,

Today is finally the day!!! Our packers start and the move will begin! Can’t write long, have to go get bottled water, Gatorade, and snacks to keep everyone happy!!!

June 5, 2018

Dear Diary,

Still no packers. Have to be out the house in 4 days.

June 6, 2018

Dear Diary,

Moving company won’t answer the phone. Still no packers. Had to get the QA guy from TMO involved. Ran out of wine.

June 7, 2018

Dear Diary,

We have packers!! BUT we have no driver for our stuff! But it’s going to be out of the house by tomorrow!! Now we’re rolling!! Off to get bottled water, Gatorade, and snacks to keep everyone happy!!!

June 8, 2018

Dear Diary,

It’s 105 degrees, and six men took only 4 hours to pack our entire house into one truck. It’s going to storage because they lost the original driver. We have been assured our shipment will arrive at the scheduled date and time. Air mattresses have been blown up. Kids think they’re trampolines. Forgot to keep the card table out so picnics on the floor for the next few days it is.

June 11, 2018

Dear Diary,

We hit the road today. Made it three and a half hours west, and husband’s truck pulling the U Haul broke down in the middle of a wheat field. It was 110 degrees. Husband drove an hour and a half the other way with the tow truck. Kids, dogs and I forged on. Ate take-out and slept in one bed. One dog peed on the floor at 2 am. Hotel didn’t sell wine.

June 12, 2018

Dear Diary,

We made it to our next stop and husband caught up! Only set us back a cool $800, surely that’s the end of our bad luck.

June 15, 2018

Dear Diary,

Stayed in the shadiest hotel ever!! Glad our stuff didn’t get stolen!

June 16, 2018

Dear Diary,

Special shout out to Edwards Air Force Base!! Best. TLF. EVER!! We had separate rooms, I got to do laundry without paying, and there’s even a Starbucks!! Maybe we’ll just call it good in California.

June 17, 2018

Dear Diary,

Google maps didn’t tell us that the only way to get to Big Sur from the south was a fire road with hairpin turns up and down a mountain on a one and a half lane road. Defied death today but the views were worth it. Pretty sure husband’s truck brakes are also now shot. Dogs destroyed their kennel at the hotel while we were at dinner. We’re halfway there!

June 18, 2018

Dear Diary,

Drove all the way to Eugene, Oregon, and ate PF Chang’s for dinner. Dogs destroyed another kennel at the hotel and peed on the floor. Can we give them back up for adoption??

June 20, 2018

Dear Diary,

Our realtor didn’t fully inform us of our home closing process. Have to cut 2 days off our “vacation” and get to our final destination. Finally made it to the beach and it was cold and rainy. Ate overpriced hot dogs and potato salad for dinner. TLF smells like mildew.

June 21, 2018

Dear Diary,

Spent $70 to take the ferry to our new home. Kids loved it though. Closed on our new house but couldn’t have the keys. Stayed in another crappy TLF. Met up with old friends who fed us the first home-cooked meal in weeks. Thankful for familiar faces in a new place.

June 21,2018

Dear Diary,

We have the keys to our new house!!! Set up all the air mattresses, ordered pizza, opened wine. Dog peed on the floor. Only 3 more days until our stuff arrives!!

June 25, 2018

Dear Diary,

Our stuff is still on the other side of the country. No driver. No estimated time of arrival. Friends who moved from overseas after us already got their stuff. Need more wine.

June 26, 2018

Dear Diary,

We were told that starting today we would be reimbursed for certain things like towels, bedding, paper plates etc. So I did a little retail therapy. New towels sounded nice. The sheets and blankets we packed were old and worn out. Off to Pinterest to find the best one-pot dishes.

June 30, 2018

Dear Diary,

It only took me an hour and a half, but after almost a month of living in hotels, I made my family a proper breakfast out of one skillet. Need to remember to buy a rubber spatula — cooking eggs with a plastic spoon wasn’t easy. Still no word on our stuff. Another family that moved from overseas got their stuff. Dying. Doing some shopping today that I don’t want to do.  Can’t go on job interviews in yoga pants and a T-shirt. Unfortunately, we won’t get reimbursed for this one.

July 9, 2018

Dear Diary,

Husband went back to work today. He only has one uniform so doing laundry at the laundromat every other day should be fun. Speaking of laundromats, when did they get so expensive?? And why does my family wear so many clothes?? The prepared foods counter at the local grocery store knows me by name. I just want to sleep in my bed again.

July 11, 2018

Dear Diary,

Moving company still can’t find a driver for our household goods, so they told us to rent stuff to “feel more at home.” Washer and dryer and a TV will be delivered tomorrow! Feels like Christmas in July!! Too bad I’m too sleep deprived from the air mattress and echoing walls of an empty house to actually be that excited. 

July 20, 2018

Dear Diary,

We made new friends that had us over for dinner. Bless them. Our kids acted like they’ve never seen toys in their life and didn’t want to leave.

July 27, 2018

Dear Diary,

We’ve been told our stuff will arrive tomorrow, not getting my hopes up.

July 27, 2018

Dear Diary,

Update! Husband talked to the truck driver, and they’ll be here at 8am tomorrow!!! Off to buy bottled water, snacks, and Gatorade to keep everyone happy!!!

July 28, 2018

Dear Diary,

9:30 am truck ran out of gas 45 minutes away. We made bloody Mary’s. Truck finally arrived at 11:30am. One mover hurt his leg an hour in. Everything is covered in an inch of red dirt and dust. So. Much. Damage. Kids didn’t have their beds put together and made until 9:30pm. I don’t even know where to begin with unpacking.

July 29, 2018

Dear Diary,

It’s 12:30am. I’m exhausted. I’ve unpacked so many boxes, washed so many loads of laundry, cleaned as much furniture as I could. It has been 50 days since I’ve slept in my own bed. We’re never moving again. Goodnight.

September 13, 2018

Dear Diary,

We just love our new house and location! We’ve met friends and have gotten involved! I’ll be so sad when we move again but can’t wait to find our when and where!! Moving isn’t so bad right??