Keep Mixing It Up

Friday morning we fired up the U-Haul and started driving. Per usual, Lori and I tried to cram five days of work into four. We were pretty well cooked at the start of this adventure. The mission: deliver furniture to our younger offspring and get him properly settled in to his new apartment. (Side benefit: Hotel Bell has been meaningfully de-cluttered.)

We caravanned - me in the U-Haul, Lori in her station wagon. We considered traveling together in the truck, then flying home. But there was no time savings, and committing to a flight might mean leaving before we felt the job was done. I have driven U-Haul trucks a few times - but never so far, never through Chicago during rush hour, and never through a storm as severe as the one we encountered Friday night. An 8 1/2 hour trip ended up taking 12 hours. Oofta!

In Chicago, I began to fear that I might run out of gas. Within five minutes, Lori found a gas station just one block off of the exit, with an easy path to re-enter the slow-crawling critical path to our destination. The fuel stop cost us fifteen minutes, at most. During a relative lull in the storm, Google Maps directed me to quickly take an exit, allowing us to avoid a major slow-down.

The whole time, we were solving problems - both as they arose, and avoiding them entirely by anticipating them in advance. Where to park the U-Haul, since we won’t be unloading it tonight? The best place to park the U-Haul for the offloading? How to dispose of this couch if it won’t fit in the apartment? Navigating an unfamiliar territory, on a timeline, with clear outcomes we were driving toward.

It was all super-stimulating. Our son is in the same boat - just two weeks into his new job, living in a new town, dealing with a new landlord…this type of stuff is extra-taxing, and extra-good for us, at least within a certain range. Everything can be overdone.

This week was a reminder to seek out more productive discomfort. It’s certainly not always fun, but it really did make me feel extra alive these last couple of days. I want as much “extra” as I can get.

Anyway, Lori and I are starting a new business: Ninja Rooster Movers - we get up at the crack of dawn and move in your furniture so quietly your neighbors will never wake up.

Sunday Supper

Fight Big Beef by making these tasty Salmon Burgers this week. Pair them with this Carrot Ribbon Salad. These Mexican Pork & Beans look yum, yum, yum. Ok, let’s revisit beef burgers - but make it CHEESEBURGER SOUP instead.

Sunday Music

If you love Bruce Hornsby, you’ll love this interview. Don’t let their name distract you from wonderful art - here’s Mannequin Pussy at the NPR Tiny Desk. How about Salin, live KEXP? Let’s head to Argentina and listen to this beautiful duet between Mel Muñiz and Juan Pablo de Mendonça. Lastly, let Reggie Watts blow your mind with this set for The Lot Radio. Enjoy!

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Have a great week ahead!  You can do anything you set your mind to. Let me know how I can help.


Peace & Love,