-- update: we're kindof moving, but kindof not

Alrighty! Well I have a lot to say but am not in the mood to write. So I'll just list what's going on:

• We're leaving for Arizona in less than two weeks to set up residence there for four months. Dan got a job working at Lowell Observatory's Discovery Channel Telescope. It's a 2-year position requiring this time up front, monthly commutes the rest of the year and more time on site next summer. We'll essentially have two residences.
  
  
• After weeding through 8 billion Craigslist responses, we found someone to rent our house in the interim.
  
  
• I started looking for apartments in Flagstaff, AZ until I realized I cannot sign the papers for a place without seeing it first. Maybe it sounds great on paper but it's festering with roaches or reeking of cat piss? I dunno. Don't blame me if I'm a bit jaded. So as of now we don't know where we'll be living. Luckily they're putting us up for a few weeks so we can figure this out when we get to town.
  
  
• It's a 2,200 mile drive to Arizona, need to plan cross-country trip. Note to self: USE the newly-discovered hotel Bed Bug Registry.
  
  
• Figuring out: should we take the dog? A generous friend kindly offered to see about watching him but Tycho took extra-large SPAZ pills the day we arrived for a test visit. After body-slamming their back door and shrieking like a disemboweled possum for the entire duration of a very trying meal, we both agreed that "maybe this wasn't a great idea."
  
  
• The cat was dropped off with Dan's family two nights ago and hasn't stopped hissing since.
  
  
• (re-reading this: why are all of our animals such a pain in the ass?)
  
  
• I finally entered the technology phase with a modern phone AND a new cell carrier. I had buyer's regret almost immediately until I realized I could actually carry on a conversation for more than 3.7 minutes straight on my commute home; an unheard-of record.
  
  
• Got back from my last visit to NJ today. Saw loved ones but as usual, did not have enough time to see all.
  
  
• Scrambling to see friends, pack, clean, setup auto bill-pay, email billing, mail forwarding, finish kitchen construction, etc. Must be done this week! My throat is closing just thinking of it all.
  

Jetting to work on some packing. Flagstaff is the last major town on the way north to the Grand Canyon. Come visit! :)