A long day's journey into Wilmette

If you are contemplating a move, a few words of advice.

Packing. Don't do it, just get rid of everything. It's an opportunity for a new beginning. Embrace the clean slate! Even if you think you've purged a ton of stuff so your move will be easy, you haven't, and it won't be. Just get rid of it. The closer you get to the actual move, the more you're going to throw away in a desperate panic. Just throw it all away now, and avoid the panic.

If you insist on moving all your possessions:

• Figure out how many boxes you need, then buy twice as many. At least. And four times as much tape. When you still run out of boxes, call a friend who lives near U-Haul and beg him to bring you boxes while the movers are still there.

• Add one hour to the estimated start time of your move, add one hour to estimated duration of the move. Add a third hour for the trip to Home Depot to replace or repair things the movers damage.

• Once the dining room table is gone, be sure to duck when walking near the hanging light fixture. When you see others bang their heads into it, remember that, and don't then do it twice yourself.

• When cleaning out the fridge and reaching way in the back, remember to back all the way out before trying to stand up.

• Don't pack the Advil, keep it near or on your person all day. You might consider keeping an ice pack in the freezer.
  

After a very long day and an exhaustion-driven emotional farewell to the doorman (which totally unsettled him. Sorry, David, I'm really not nuts!), I headed to the comforts of Chris and Ami's home in lovely Wilmette, IL. Ami had dinner waiting for me. There were cloth napkins and freshly grated cheese, a far cry from my previous dinner of pb&j. After I relaxed for a bit and Chris helped me unload the car, Ami showed me to the guest suite. "Put your laundry in with ours", "I'm bringing in the dry cleaning, give me anything you need cleaned", "Chris will have coffee made in the morning". I wonder if they'd adopt me. I'm really not kidding. Did I mention on the night table next to the bed were Girl Scout cookies? I may never leave Wilmette.