When I last left you in this long sad tale, I was in Tucson having dinner. But before proceeding with the rest of the story, I need to give you some additional information. I had requested that Mayflower pick up my household effects on Friday, the 2nd of March and deliver them to my new home in Georgia the following Friday, the 9th. However, the driver told me, while he was loading the truck, that he could be at the new house as soon as Tuesday, the 6th. I thought this was a good idea, but I had no intention of getting to Georgia any sooner than the 8th. To complicate this matter a little further, my daughter had flown out from Georgia to drive one of our two cars back. She was accompanied by her ex-husband who was going to help her with the driving duties.
So while my wife and I set out for new home on Sunday, my daughter and her ex-husband had already started the trip on Saturday. By using a combination of Priceline, Kayak, and Hotels.com, the plan had been for her to make the nightly hotel reservations for both parties. This plan worked well for my wife and me on Sunday, but we hit a snag on Monday.
I had planned to stop at Pecos, Texas (about 520 miles from Tucson), but we were unable to find a hotel within our price range that night in the area. In fact, the least expensive hotel that we found in the area was more than $200 a night and it was one of the Comfort Inns. I ended up driving an extra 100 miles to Midland, Texas to get a hotel room for just under $180 that night. I never did find out what the deal was that made no rooms available between Pecos and Midland that day on Interstate-20, but that was the most stressful day of the trip.
We spent the next night, Tuesday, after a non-eventful drive, in Shreveport, Louisiana. On Wednesday we ate lunch outside of Birmingham Alabama at a Cracker Barrel and dinner in our Georgia home. On Thursday, we took delivery of our household goods that had shipped the previous Friday. 
The next day, Friday, we got a beautiful, and edible, housewarming gift from my dear friend, Missy. In all the chaos that was occurring that day as we sought to unpack and make our house a home, this gift was just the right touch to end a stressful day. The following Friday, the household effects that had shipped the previous Saturday arrived. And with that, Mayflower had completed its job flawlessly.
Since the arrival of the last of my household effects from California, I have gotten a Georgia driver’s license, registered both cars in Georgia and registered to vote here. I’ve arranged TV, internet and phone service (more on that later). The bottom line is that my move is pretty much complete, but it may be years before the move feels complete. But that doesn’t bother me. After all, time is now my friend.
Now, if the pollen count would just…slow…down….
Wow, $200 they must of known you needed a room bad..LOL.. I can’t wait to hear about the internet since i have a friend out that way and the story was horrible.
I assure you my story is horrible as well… 🙂
Mayflower was one of those constants in my early years–we moved every two-three years as my father climbed the managerial ranks. Of course, one of the downsides to all that moving was that my mother insisted that all those comic books were just taking up valuable space, were worthless, and I should sell them to my friends, two for a nickel.
Good-bye to all my Superman and Batman 80-page giants, my pre-100 runs of Fantastic Four and Avengers… I weep every time I see an Overstreet Price Guide.
And now you’ve got me looking at my considerable book collection that’s with me here in Omaha…and wondering where the heck am I going to put all this stuff when I retire and head home to St. Louis once and for all?
I tell you Mayflower did me right and while I don’t plan on moving again, if I do, they are my first choice. There is not a man alive over fifty who didn’t have a mother who saw no value to a boy keeping his comics. I share your pain… 🙂
As to where I put my stuff, I ended up buying a bigger house (the current market allowed that to happen). Bottom line is I wish you luck… 😉
😀 At least the fish didn’t turn out to be the start of a very bad trip? (Weird coincidence: I have a friend who lives in Midland. I wonder if she knows what was up that week.) I’m glad everything worked out. Hooray for a safe and uneventful move, and I am delighted you liked the nibbles!
Your thoughtfullness was one of the best parts of this saga. Again, thank you so much. 🙂