One week until I stop sharing my living space with bats

We have one week to go.

My friend, T, and her daughter came to visit this weekend. It was wonderful. She and my sister and I sat and chatted for a bit, the five kids got to play together all afternoon. We ordered food from the best Chinese restaurant (not just our opinion, but voted best in the Triangle for several years running). She snagged a hotel room not far away because the couch is gone and then we had breakfast at Rick's. She took some artwork off our hands and headed out of town mid-Sunday. I had to sit by myself on the porch until I had my emotions under control so I wouldn't trigger the kids' crying. I quickly asked the Babaloo to run to Aldi with me and to swing by the mall to use a gift card because we won't have Belk's where we're going. He got a lovely pair of quality flip-flops to replace the four-year-old ones he broke Friday trying to move stuff.

We got a lot done today. Most of the eight bookshelves are cleared. My cousin measured her classroom last week and is supposed to let me know which ones she can use. My mom is supposed to drop by some time this week to pick up some, too.

I called our internet service provider last night, because their website advertises that you can call any time and speak to a live person. After ten minutes of listening to a nasal, cheery automaton offering services I'll never use, I finally made my way to the right option only to hear a message telling me to call back during business hours, which they didn't state, and the system disconnected me. I waited until after coffee this morning to call back. They can't mail me a box to return my modem, because the box takes up to two weeks or something, and I don't have a forwarding address and have no desire to haul a modem across the country so I'll have to hand-deliver it to their office on Monday.

I finished my library book. I meant to take the books back tonight, but forgot. We took a load over to donate, and then hit the grocery store for bread and milk.

Clothes, books, dishes, etc.

We also packed a slew of stuff today. Three of four dressers are emptied. I think I'll have to make one more push with the laundry, and then we'll be through purging everything that is ugly or doesn't fit. In the meantime, I still have laundry baskets everywhere so that everyone can pick their favorite traveling clothes to put in suitcases.

We disassembled our bed today. The rails are in the trailer. The memory foam mattress is on the floor. (By the way, a memory foam mattress does not slide across the carpet when you push it with your foot. My landing was soft, though.) A nice young man is coming to pick up a free box spring mattress tomorrow night. One of the dressers made it downstairs and is also supposed to leave tomorrow night. 

We took an hour to plan our trip in 150- to 180-mile increments across the US, stopping for gas only at major truck stops. I was going to use GasBuddy but the Babaloo pointed out the convenience of wide turn-arounds with a trailer far outweighs saving $40 on a cross-country trip. Our directions are printed in duplicate and are waiting by the front door with the two road atlases. 

After a long day of accomplishing much, the Babaloo and I sat on the porch for a bit to enjoy some after-dinner wine until the mosquitoes began to devour us, despite the citronella candles. When we came inside, he stepped into the bathroom. I turned toward my corner of the living room and saw an odd-shaped object on the floor. This time I did not scream. This time I calmly waited until the Babaloo opened the bathroom door.

"Bring the mop bucket."

"What?"

"Bring. Me. The. Mop. Bucket."
"Where is it?"

"Inthebathroombringmethemopbucket. Bringthebucket!"

He succeeded in sneaking up on the BAT and popping the bucket over him without incident. We slid one of the few remaining pieces of large cardstock underneath and then the Babaloo released him outdoors. 

Not today's bat. This is the June 6th bat.

Some of you may recall that early last month I reached into my washing machine and touched a bat that had found its way indoors. I am so done with this place.

We will leave some time next Monday, probably late afternoon.