Why oh why?

Judging from the questions I've been getting from everyone, I take it Montana isn't a place people just move to for the hell of it. 

"Why Montana?" or more like: "Why would you move there?"

Montana is on the list of states people are least likely to move to. Also on this list are: Alaska, Idaho, North and South Dakota, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. I don't have anything against these states. They just don't seem to be brimming with excitement. But what do I know. Idahoans (??) could be big party animals. 

Alas, we didn't move here "just for the hell of it." We came here for a job.  Simple reason. End of story. 

Montana

View from our backyard. I don't have many photos of Montana. We live on the western edge of Custer National Forest, so there will be some very pretty photos to be taken. For now, I have to concentrate on getting unpacked and settled. 

We have a yard with a view of the hills. 

A far cry from living in Chicago. 

South Dakota

There's nothing here!

Oh yeah. Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, the Black Hills...

But you have to drive through this to get to the scenic parts:

On the Road...

Finally!

2 1/2 days in a moving truck with Joe and the kids and we are finally here. We left Chicago on Friday evening and drove as far as we could before falling asleep at the wheel. Friday night we stayed in the Wisconsin Dells. 

Then on Saturday we drove and drove and drove through Minnesota and halfway through South Dakota. It was frigid (still is) all weekend and the truck wouldn't start on Sunday morning. We had to wait 2 hours or so until someone could get it started for us. We wanted to arrive in Ashland, MT during daylight but that didn't happen. We go

t here around 6:30 on Sunday. It was pretty dark by then. 

Here are some photos of the trip...

Our apartment in Chicago - bye!

My sorry attempt to capture one last photo of the skyline. 

Taken in the truck as we drove on 90/94 past downtown.

More photos posted soon...

Spending an eternity in South Dakota

The cold weather here in South Dakota has stopped us from moving forward. We stopped for the night half way through the state but when temperatures fell well below zero overnight, our big truck decided not to start this morning.

So, instead of hitting the road early and getting to Montana at a good time, we are stuck here waiting for a jump. Awesome.

It's my first time in South Dakota and all I want to do is leave the state. We'll have to come back another time to visit Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse -- when it's warm outside.

We'll get to our new home soon. Hopefully.

Almost there!

I'm nearly done packing but I'm sure over the course of the next couple of days, I'll find much more to pack and I still need a few more boxes. 

Miles didn't want to pack up his toys but I proceeded anyway while he griped. 

But I want to play with my car!

I need that book!

No, Mama! Don't pack Spiderman!

It will be worse tomorrow when we have to give back our internet modem and cable box back to Comcast. No internet after 3:00 tomorrow!! I don't know if we'll survive! I think we can still get basic cable without the box. I hope. I don't want to miss The Office or 30 Rock. 

Ok...so photos of the move will be posted next week as well as photos of our new home. 

When shredding goes wrong...

Terribly wrong.

ICE!

View from our back porch looking down (this is in Chicago). Lots and lots of icicles that Miles likes to break off.

D-Day

Moving day is Jan. 23.

View of my dining room. Scary.

 

Out with the Old

I recommend everyone get up and move. No, don't get up out of your chairs and move, I want you to continue reading. Stay put.

Rather, you should all pack and move. It's actually a liberating experience. You get to see how much junk and garbage have been cluttering your lives. We've moved quite a bit in the past couple of years and it doesn't get easier but you find ways to make it less tiresome. This time around, I've decided to purge all old documents. We have a shredder and a three-year-old. It's a great combination for getting rid of old, useless documents. 

Why do I need bank statements from 10 years ago? I don't. 

Is there a reason I need copies of tax returns older than three years old? No.

Do paystubs from jobs long ago matter in my life now? I don't think so.

Why did I save all of our bills -- phone, electric, water, credit card, whatever? I was channeling my inner squirrel, perhaps.

Take a look around your house for a minute. It's the new year and time to start fresh. Purge. Purge like there's no tomorrow. Then again, there wasn't a tomorrow, why would it matter? 

We're getting rid of the old, to make room for the new, so in ten years, I can do the same thing. 

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Packing. And Packing. And even more packing.

You guessed it, packing is underway here. We have books --many books -- thanks to Joe. I'm to blame, as well, but most of the books are his. He took quite a few with him on his drive to Montana and for that I an grateful. However, I'm still here with many more to pack. Here's a list of some of the interesting ones we have:

• The Qur'an: No, we're not Muslim. Joe took quite a few classes about Islam. Are Muslims offended if we, Christians, have a copy of their holy book? 
  
• Nick of the Woods: I'm sure you haven't heard of this book. I had to read it in college and I've been trying to get rid of it since then. It's boring and dull and it's been sitting on my book shelf for 10 years.
  
• Encyclopedia of Chicago: Joe worked at the University of Chicago Press and he used to get some books for free. This is one. Anything you want to know about Chicago? Ask me, I can tell you.
• Encyclopedia of Outdoor Survival: This might come in handy in Montana (and if the Dec. 21, 2012 thing is accurate; I'm skeptical). 
  
• Warriner's English Grammar book: A must for writers and English majors. I haven't looked at in years, though. Judging from some of grammatical errors, I should probably consult this book. 
  
• Complete book of Grimm Fairy Tales: The real stories of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, among others. Not like the washed out Disney versions. I think I'll start reading these to Caitlynn and Miles.
  

We also have Catcher in the Rye that Joe purchased with a debit card. I wonder if he's on a watch list now. He also has a few Karl Marx books. That probably gets him his own file at the FBI or NSA.

Not to be missed....

Ok. Now for what I won't miss.... I'm fully aware this list outweighs the other one.

• Traffic -- need I say more?
  
• Pollution 
  
• Taxes -- Come on, 10.25% sales tax? Geez.
  
• Parking sticker -- $75/year to have a car registered in the city of Chicago
  
• Pot holes
  
• Congestion -- not cars but people. Kind of tired of all the people around
  
• Politics -- yeah, this made both lists. Tired of a crooked Mayor that will never lose an election because no one good will run against him. Without a maximum term limit, Mayor Daly is here until he retires.
  
• Crime -- duh
  
• Bad service at any government run office (I think this is universal)
  
• Price of groceries -- although I'm not sure this will be much better in Montana
  
• Traffic (oh I already said that one)
  
• Noise -- sirens in the middle of the night

To be missed....

I'll start out with a positive note regarding Chicago. What will I miss about the Windy City? 

Joe and I moved here in 2000. We lived for about a year way out in the west surburbs but then moved to the city and have called the neighborhood of Hyde Park our home for five out of the last seven years. Hyde Park grows on you and I can see why people make it their home for 20-30 years (mostly professors at the seminaries here or University of Chicago). Out of all the neighborhoods in Chicago, I've always felt that Hyde Park has that actual "neighborhood" feel. 

Here's my list of what I will miss about Chicago:

1. Restaurants -- Pockets, Noodles, & Cedars Mediterranean
   
2. Hyde Park Produce -- my favorite place to buy fresh fruit and veggies at awesome prices
   
3. Museums -- Chicago is home to some awesome museums
   
4. Convenience -- living in Hyde Park, we don't really need a car and we've gone days without driving
   
5. Neighbors and friends -- we will miss you all
   
6. The colorful politicians -- Illinois has the best governors when it comes to making bribes