Is Chicago In A Lot of Trouble?

When current Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley announced that he wouldn't be running for another term, a large power grab was put into motion.  Daley has been in office for two decades and helped transform the city into what is it today (good & bad).  Do I feel any of his successors can do a better job, not really but I do love to be proven wrong :)

Which of these fools should I vote for?

It's All In My Head

Today was a better day than it has been in the last week.  I completely under-estimated what it was going to take for me to start becoming comfortable in the new locale.  I though I would be fine the entire time while working on getting the house ready when in fact I feel incredibly lost and overwhelmed :(  With the Wifey basically out-of-commission due to the pregnancy and a late bout of tooth problems, I feel compelled to step-up and pick up the slack - which is do everything.  Yes, the overachiever in me comes out to play and fails.  Failure is so hard for me to accept.

I am taking a few steps to keep my head from swimming.  First, I am not going to try to get the entire house set.  there's way too much shite for me to try to deal with.  I have to accept that the house is going to be trashed forever (or at leas ta year, which ever comes first) and people are gonna have to deal with it.  I'm limiting myself to moving/setting up 3 things a day.  If I do that, then eventually everything will get dealt with.  Secondly, I will be leaving the house at least once a day whether or not I need it.  I'm giving myself an hour of Nelson Time.  Maybe my sense of disconnection will be diminished if I connect to my new environment.  Lastly, I am going to ask for more help from people.  I need more involvement with people in my life and can't go back living insularly.

t's been a rough first week.  Let's hope these limitations I place on myself help moving forward.

Cabin Fever At The New House

It's 9:15 PM.  I haven't left my house in two days.  I haven't showered in almost three.  I'm snapping at everyone and everything in my home. There's too much to do and not enough time to do it.  I feel like a loser because I can't do 2000 things at once.  In my mind I have conjured up the idea that I could in the past, but yet now it seems so elusive to me.  all I want to do is sleep and wake up with everything I want automatically done.

I've been looking at my dog wondering if her life is much easier to live.  Let me try it - wake up, sniff my butt, lick my genitals, eat some food, drink some water, chase squeaky toys, jump onto the bed and claim the entire area, and beg all day.  Yep, that sounds good.

Gonna try to get outta dodge tomorrow.  Wish me luck.

I Have More Creativity In One Home Than...

It's weird.  Ever since I moved my family to the 'burbs, I have been more creative now than I've been in a while.  I guess I don't have the distractions of the city to bog me down.  Things I've got to get going:

0.  Baby expecting
1.  Salsation (fund-raising, writing, video editing)
2.  Dude Abides Musical (playing drums)
3.  Courageous Rue
4.  Home Improvement projects

Check out the vid below:

Appliances - Who Needs 'Em? We Do. Dang It!

Today I am getting a fridge, stove, washer, and dryer from the good people of Lowes who incidentally outsourced they're delivery services to a third-party company.  Total cost?  Roughly $3700.  It's still cheaper than the $10K I was countered with during home negotiations for the used appliances already in the home. 

I have to move all of the boxes in the laundry room before they are to arrive around noon.  Then hopefully they show up on time.  Then hopefully they don't damage anything getting them into the home.  Fun times are ahead of us!

A Fresh Start To the Rest of My Life

Today I moved to Crown Point, IN after a 12 year tenure in Chicago, IL.  I am exhausted after coordinating the move with a huge gang of 12 people.  We got help with truck driving, child care, storage, and painting.  I am sure I am forgetting other things people did for us but whatever it is, I am sure was well done and received.

What I am truly moved by is the amount of support I received from people.  I hate moving (who doesn't?!) and for me to ask people to help takes a lot.  The fact people practically threw themselves at us for help is remarkable to me.  I guess I am a bit cynical with help as I've had to be rather self-reliant to accomplish goals; however, having people genuinely want to me help me was really refreshing and heartening to see.

So, to Hugo, Charles, Jim, Amy, Mitch, Wil, Aaron, Teresa, Loren, Tim, and Anthony, thank you for all of the work you did today and for renewing my faith in friendship in general.  I am indebted to you graciously and wholeheartedly :)