With a Little Help from My Friends AND Travel Woes

Thursday was moving day. Many boxes had been hurriedly packed and set in the corner to be moved to my dad's later in the day. So many people have helped me get ready for this day that I can't believe that it actually happened. Thursday night, Jason and Justin helped me take two truck loads (as well as two car loads) to Royal Oak. That damn couch tried to kill us. Again. It is much heavier and more unweildy than I expect. In the middle of the first trip, we stopped at BDub's at Fountain Walk to see Rach, Stef, Erin, and Nick before I got away. It was really good to see them because they are yet more friends that I try to make time for in this hectic time, and I actually succeeded to see them, so I was very happy. Jason and Justin both had some food and two tall Labatt's. I had water and some huge, meaty teriyaki wings. I was waiting until I got to my dad's for the beer. When we arrived, we had some brew, unloaded the truck and car, and went for the second load. The second load went faster, mainly because it did not involve the couch at all. It was all computers, tv, tables, and pillows. And a last couple straggling boxes. After, we had some more beer and chatted while dad pulled out some bar tunes from this one guy he heard who had some very amusing songs, such as: "You Don't Have to be Drunk to be an Asshole" and "I Want a Rich, Dumb, Young Nymphomaniac" which were both hilarious. Justin had to lay concrete 5 hours later, so he went to get some sleep. Jason and I stayed to have a couple more beers and shoot some pool. Jason and I were soundly trounced. Surprise, surprise. We got back to my place at 4:15am, Jason went home, and I slept on the floor with my neck pillow and a tiny blanket since I took the rest of them to my dad's just hours before. I was woken up at around 7am, and then had a visit, and then my mom and the kids came over to help. It was then that I took care of my Day from Hell: Last Day in the USA. Mom, David Carter, and Diana, and I went to tackle the horrendous mess that was the remainder of the junk at the apartment. We started, then decided to hit the local McDonald's which took about a bazillion hours to make our food. I couldn't eat it all, and the kids had fun playing in the play area. But I was kind of in a rush, so I hurried them along. Upon returning to the apartment, the enormity of the task at hand kind of got to me. I think I was having a panic attack. My stomach clenched and I couldn't breathe. I was feeling nauseous. Eventually, I got up, and alternately gave stuff to mom, threw stuff away, gave stuff to the kids, and packed. It was slow going, and I had about thirty thousand phone calls come to me and made by me. Jason came by to take bottles back and help throw stuff away and pack. By the way, I had roughly $41.00 in bottles in the apartment. That's roughly 410 bottles and cans. I am impressed. Anyways. Drew came over after work, threw me a hand and helped in the vaccuuming of rooms, throwing of trash, and packing of crap. As well as corralling of siblings. DC and Diana were pretty good, considering they were pretty much being told to help or shut up. Bob showed up to get the remainder of Christina's crap out of the way. By three o'clock, everyone had dispersed and I was ready to head out, after three more trips to the dumpster and a vaccuuming of my own. Ah, my car was full. I whisked myself off to my brother's after turning in the keys and saying goodbye to 5945 Sandhurst, #204. Or, whisked is what I would have done if my car wasn't weighed down with a ton of stuff and didn't get slowed down by an accident on 275. I got to my brother's, and we went then to Suburban Honda to get the car appraised and see if they would buy it back from me. They told me they would give me $10,500 for it, which isn't bad, if it were a Kia or something. But I still owe $14,825 or something like that. So it came down to, "Give us over $4200 or go away." So I went away, but not until calling out Dan Hedges and saying hi to him. I wish I could have stopped in and seen Jess before I left, but I had to get to my papa's place, and I was over an hour late getting there. We were surprised at seeing an Envoy in the driveway to my Papa's house. Turns out that my dad decided to stop by for a visit and we sat and talked for a bit. My dad had gotten my passport from the Consulate, sans visa, and the subsequently arranged (and free) three day ticket to Seoul, South Korea for the end of August. Visited Papa, then headed to my dad's to get everything washed and squared away. It was pretty rough. At my dad's house, there was talking, eating pizza, and making fun of David for washing and packing his bags 6 hours before his flight left. I dealt with it. Let me tell you. The leaving was the hardest part. *** I have a private entry here. So there *** Okay, back to the public goings-on. Begin Travel Woes. Checkin in was simple, and when I eventually got to the security checkpoint, I had to practically strip. I was expectint the red lights and burlesque music. I had to take the shoes, belt, and watch I was wearing off. That left me with shorts and shirt (as well as boxers, since you want to know). I didn't have to wait but 35 minutes until we boarded our little commuter plane. There were 20 of us on this plane, and it had the propellers also. I asked one of the other passengers where they kept the big rubber bands to wind it up with. I slept through the whole flight, and don't remember a thing. Upon arriving in Toronto, I took another long walk, after going through immigration and customs for the first time, and then got to the gate. I sat and wrote out the first half of this journal entry and then closed my eyes. Bad idea. I woke up and everyone around me was different, and it was 8:55am. My flight left at 9:00am. Thankfully, I made it on the plane just in time. That would have been a disaster! So I slept through 90% of this flight, stopping to have airplane french toast and talk to the guy next to me. He was going home to Hong Kong. Cool guy. The wait in Vancouver wasn't long, either. I got some coins to call a couple people to tell them I was alive and safe in Vancouver, and buy a drink and some chips (which I still have here, yet uneaten). It wasn't long until I was corralled onto the plane and started my third and longest sit of the day. The guy sitting next to me this time is very easy going, and has gaming magazines and a GBA SP. Good taste. The movies on the flight were Big Fish (which made me tear up at the end, probably because of the stress I've been under, and the fact that I won't be seeing friends and family for six months sinking in), Along Came Polly (which I saw about 4 frames of as I slept), and Cheaper by the Dozen (which I think was pretty funny). The meal services were both chicken or seafood choices. Not being able to eat seafood prepared on a plane, I had a rubbery chicken dish with pasta and a teriyaki chicken thing with rice respectively for my meals. Did I mention that on all of these flights I was stiting window seat, on the engine/wing? It was pretty darn comfy with my neckbone, but still. ON the Wing every time! I arrived safely in Nagoya, stored my large luggage at the airport for 1200Y, then took an exceedingly expensive taxi for 4200Y, about $40, to get to my ryokan (hotel) for the night. So I am typing this from my tiny room right now. the room is about 8ft wide by 15ft long. The bathroom is across the hall, and the baths are public. It is about 6:40pm here so it is 5:40am in Michigan right now. I am struggling to decide when to bathe and when to go to Lawson's. Yes, there is a Lawson's near here, of course. Lawson's, for those who didn't have to hear me say this 10,000,000 times before, is a convenience store like none stateside. It has good food, and a huge range of stuff. I enjoy it muchly. So here is David, weary from travel and packing, saying thank you so very much to all of my friends and family. I love you all, and I will miss you even more. Just keep in touch or I might have to go around breaking fingers when I get back. Christmas or not.