We drove over and visited our new location. I got a mailbox at the post office, got Russell signed up for camp, and we looked over the various areas we can live in and talked to people asking them about it. The concensus seems to be that the place we've selected to live is a good one and will be better than trying to live in the same place Mike's working. Commute, schommute.

I also took Russell to a Western Apparel store and told him we could buy him a cowboy outfit. He was wholly unimpressed with the whole idea, but we reached a happy compromise on the shirt -- a Hawaiian style shirt with palm trees and a cowboy on a bucking bronco in the pattern of it. I thought it was a nice compromise. And his wranglers were really really cute.

I also got a rental list while we were there and found that nothing is ready for that June 1 cutoff yet except some $2K/month 4 bedroom ranch. I'm just not ready for that and well, Mike's going to be getting good money, but not that good. If I had to pay that much in rent, I'd buy a house. Geez!

It snowed a lot while we were there. We woke up the second morning to snow on top of cars in the parking lot and we had a slush ball fight in the parking lot. Mike and I, as people with siblings -- vengeful heartless little shit siblings with knowledge of how to make ice balls and how to make the most of a slush ball -- nailed each other and Russell. Russell, very new to this whole "how to toss a snowball thing," got creamed, so afterwards we played nice. We figure that Genny will be victim to his learning curve.

I find I am dreaming about my worries. I am worrying about the move and about money and about the kids. It's scary and creepy.

I did find out yesterday that we're getting $4600 in moving expenses. After spending $1000 for rent and $1000 for a deposit, I'm sure it'll go fast. I've made Mike promise me a recliner, and aside from that I'm paying bills.

Oh, the really really special news? We bounced the car payment check to my parents. Mike and I lost track of the checking account. I thought I had everything covered, but I think I didn't track his book expenses correctly and then I covered money into the account, but realized later that I covered the account about 2 days after my parents put the check in. Of course, I called them ready to stick my head in the guillotine and realized, oh shit, they're in Arizona.

I am so stoopid. I am just so looking forward to it all. They can redeposit the check and it'll be fine, but in the interim, I'm just ready to scream. I am sure their bank will ding them, so I'm going to have to reimburse them for that.

I will be so glad when we aren't living paycheck to paycheck all the fucking time.

I figured out our budget on our new income level without me working at all and we'll be skating along and have money to spare. I can't hardly believe it at all. With any income I bring into the house, it'll be simply gravy to be poured all over loans. I can't wait!

The only bummer about any of this is that I have to spend a year in our new state in order to have established residency there, which means I have to wait a year before going back to school for technogeek stuff. At that rate, I could teach MYSELF programming in C by using online references. Geesh.

But if I have to wait a year anyway, I think I'm going to put myself on the substitute teacher list and work via telecommute as much as I can.

Of course, I think Pauline will be visiting more. She's finally getting a divorce from that loser husband of hers. I'm proud of her. I'm sorry she's suffering, but I am so damned proud of her for shaking him loose. He's been so abusive and done so much to be perfectly miserable to her.

I felt bad when she told me because I couldn't bring myself to tell her,"Oh, gee, I'm sorry." Instead, I said,"Oh! Are you ok?" I don't give a fart's whisper about him, but I love her dearly. She sounded cried out about it. Just kind of formulating a plan. It sounds like things are gearing up for a messy divorce, which worries me. I am afraid he'll try to make her sign shit she shouldn't.

Then Mike and I were talking about our relationship. I told him he couldn't divorce me because I'd waited too long to get married. He teased,"I'm not just your first husband?" I wrinkled my nose at him and said,"You're my ONLY husband."