Moving day

WOW.  Let me try to explain the day I just had.  I get up early because I have to take my car to the shop (my A/C was blowing warm) by 8 so that Joe can start his moving thing by 9.  When we get home from dropping my car off I notice the A/C unit for the house is also blowing warm and the unit itself is frozen.  REALLY?  Do I really need this today?  BTW, it felt like it was about 90 here today.  It was freaking hot!  Not the kind of weather you can go without A/C.

Jill is buzzing around like a little busy bee packing all the stuff that she wants to bring to "the apartment".  Joe is also running around packing and moving furniture around waiting for his friends to show up to begin moving stuff to the apartment.  The shop guy calls me.  He quotes me... wait for it... $1600... to fix the A/C.  "WHAT!?  $1600 DOLLARS?"  I thought perhaps I misunderstood him the first time he said it.  I go on to tell him I just cannot do that.  He says he'll go back and rework the order and see what he can do for me.  Meanwhile, I've had to call the house A/C guy.  He is on the way.  By this time, my neighbor kids are over so now I have 5 kids running around, playing, screaming, asking for drinks, asking for snacks, asking me to play with them.  Liam is playing video games oblivious to what is going on around him.  I finally get him off the video game and am helping him and Jill pack their overnight bags.

Joe is now in full moving mode.  Instead of renting a truck and getting everything moved in one trip he uses the element and has to make about 15 trips throughout the day.  So, in and out all day, him and his friends.  I packed some stuff for him to get him started but I wasn't helping move anything.  I would periodically find myself sitting outside just staring off into space.  I just felt completely numb really.  Not really sure if I was mad or sad or what.  Kind of like an out-of-body experience.  On the outside looking in.

The shop calls me back they were able to reduce the price but it's still A LOT.  I agree to move forward because I HAVE to.  Like I said, this is not the kind of weather where you cannot have cold A/C.  The house A/C guy has now showed up and LUCKILY we get away for less than $200 for that.

So the day is winding down and Joe is about done moving.  The kids are at our neighbors house and Joe and I decide to take me to see the apt and go get my car.  We're alone but there's very little talking.  I check out the apt.  It's small but decent.  Then he drives me to the shop.  I tell him I'll meet him at home.  I get home and go pick up the kids from the neighbors.  Joe still needs to head to the store, get the kids fed, bathed and put them to bed.  So it's "the moment" where we are about to part ways forever.  He is packing the kids up in his car and I'm getting into my car heading to Publix.  So Joe looks over at me and smiles and waves.  It was very unceremonious.  After 12 years, that's what I get.  A smile and a wave.  No hug, no kiss.  No, "hey, thanks for the last 12 years of your life.  Thanks for these perfectly perfect children you gave me."  Thanks for nothing.  What did I expect?

I get back from Publix and all I want to do is drown my sorrows in pizza and Coke (of the cola variety) and I pull up to my house to see my neighbor kid shooting hoops in my driveway.  I go inside and drop off my stuff and by the time I come back outside his sister is now with him.  I hung out with them for about 30 min just talking and being silly.  It was a much welcomed homecoming.  I was kind of dreading coming home to an empty house.  For some reason, the universe really hated me today.  I'm not sure why.  Apparently, it thinks I'm made of fucking money too.  It really tested me today but I only had 1 teeny tiny meltdown.  But it did offer me with a little surprise when I opened up my fridge to put the Coke away and found a mysterious 6 pack of Killian's sitting there.   I literally closed the door and opened it again to make sure I actually saw what I think I just saw.  I have no idea where it came from.  But I was down to my last Bud.   Thank you to whoever left that there.

The past few weeks I've been so sentimental about everything.  We took the kids out to dinner last night and I thought to myself "this could be the last time we ever go out as a family again".  I think that about everything: this could be the last time we ever [insert random action here].  I don't know if Joe just doesn't think like that or if he just doesn't care.  Either way, it's like a stab to the heart.