Well, originally I had intended last night to be my final night in Montana. For those who came in late (note the Phantom reference), I am moving to Arizona to take up a faculty position at one of the universities. This past week has therefore been a blur of packing, cleaning, moving and more packing and cleaning.
Although I started moving things last Thursday (3rd August), I was not making much headway. I recruited Adam to help me move some of the heavy things such as my mattresses, as well as donating to him a variety of stuff for which I no longer had a use. I also moved a lot of Kadie's belongings from her old apartment to her new place. I continued packing through the weekend, but took time off to go to game night at Paul's, where I won at "Big Aisle Small Cart – Japan's Number One rated combat Grocery Game Show", and was also the undefeated queen of several hands of a "Presidents and Assholes" type game. I was home by about 2 am, so that I could continue packing the next day. I also had lunch with Jen and Roger at the Nova, where I caught up with Dana who was working there.
The weekend went much to fast, and I was still far behind on cleaning up and moving out of my apartment. However I had moved much of my stuff as well as Kadie's things to her new apartment across the hallway. By a fortunate convergence of fates, my landlady was away until Friday, and although I had emptied my old apartment, it was not completely cleaned. I had to turn my attention to packing up the laboratory, and before long it was also full of boxes. Nick was away all this week, so while I did not have to worry about supervising him, the knowledge transfer did not take place, as I would have desired.
On Wednesday I had lunch with Robin at the Nova, which was very nice. That night I lifted weights, and ran down to pick up my bicycle from it's tune up. I then had to cycle up a steep hill to Adam's place to have dinner with him, Chris and Matt. They were doing experimental steak cookery, which generated copious quantities of smoke. By the 4th steak (mine) I would say that they finally had the technique approximated, although it was still slightly too rare for my taste. Nevertheless, it was nice of them to have invited me over. I shouted them ice cream for dessert, and we sat around watching Start Trek: TNG, and drinking every time something clichéd happened. After Chris left, the third room mate Phil arrived.
The next day I was back in the lab, and my boss dropped in. He wanted to shout (treat) me lunch, and so we walked over to downtown, and had a two-hour lunch at a very nice wine bar on Main street. We chatted for a long time, and then bumped briefly into Phil on the way back up to the university. I picked up the U-Haul truck about 4 pm, but it was leaking oil, and so they fetched me a newer one from another depot. I successfully got the truck home even though construction teams were tearing a hug hole in the road between my lab and my apartment. Adam, and then later Chris and Phil dropped by to help me seal and load boxes and other stuff onto the truck. We repeated this for the laboratory as well, and it was a bit scary to see that all my possessions and those from my research lab don't even fill the floor of a 17-foot truck. I know I try to minimize what I possess, but it was still a bit of a shock to see it all collected together like that.
Today I woke up at 7:30 am, and continued to pack. I went to the post office and my bank to change my address, and then came back to find my landlady BJ was busy and wouldn't check on my apartment until after 10 am. I had a nice long coffee with Lori, and whilst doing so the other Lori drove up. We chatted, and so I didn't get back to my old apartment until about 11 am. BJ had a long list of stuff for me to clean, and that took several hours of breathing ammonia fumes before it was up to spec. By then it was after 3 pm, and I was exhausted and so I decided to not leave today. Instead I am sitting at home listening to the Pet Shop Boys, and writing up my diary.
Tomorrow in theory I will get up at 5 am, and finish putting my last things in the truck. I'd like to hit the road by 6 am, and travel through Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons on my way down to Utah. I don't know where I'll stop for the night, but I will see what progress I am making. The people in Arizona are expecting me on Monday morning, so I shall have to try and not disappoint.