There’s More Than Corn in Indiana

Transitions can be unpredictable. But the process is kind of predictable, I guess. It’s like the sadness needs to come out of me in order to make way for the new fun stuff, and the WTF stuff of moving into a new house.  Let’s take it in fives. Sadness: I cried five times while moving.

1. Saying goodbye to my work friends
2. Realizing I would not be selling my YA book before Josh became a doctor
3. When Josh took down the hammock
4. Saying goodbye to Lisa and Evan
5. Crossing the Michigan/Indiana border

It’s funny what triggers the tears, no? Eleanor got sad when her favorite radio station got fuzzy and we started losing reception. Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” was playing at the time. She noted that it was the perfect song to go out on. I agree, a great ending.

So, now we are here. We are Hoosiers. It is day four, and the WTF is in full force. There are five problems with the house.

1. Half of the electricity in the upstairs bathroom is out
2. The air-conditioning downstairs is out
3. One sink in the downstairs bathroom doesn’t work
4. The library is missing a big comfy chair
5. The dog is terrified of grates, and refuses to go into the kids’ rooms

Small things. And please don’t get me wrong; I adore the house. So enough of the sad and negative. On with the GOOD! My five fun, and most favorite things are:

1. The shower is a porn director’s dream! Nine or so people could get in there. And there are so many shower heads (5) that I’m still learning how to work them. It’s crazy in there! I accidently found the button that made the shower head pop off. (I’m speaking quite literally here, btw.) That was an adventure for sure because shower water coming directly out of a hose kind of stings.
2. We have more technology than I understand, but I’m anxious to train. (I just flashed to the Modern Family episode where Phil is guiding Claire on how to set the thermostat: “The snowflake on the box means cold, cold, cold…”)
3. I have a library! Not an office, but a library. There are built in bookshelves and lots of windows. Despite what Josh says, it’s not the fart room. It’s the LIBRARY. The LIBRARY, I tell you!
4. The backyard has a fence, so Phillip Marlowe can sniff out all kinds of new flavors of trouble without the annoyance of being tied up. (Or the worry of attack air vents)
5. Location, location, location. Butler, the zoo, my job, the childrens museum, Broadripple Village, and about two blocks from the house, there’s a cupcake store next to a children’s bookstore. I will be making some purchases for the LIBRARY (including an author-signed copy of Will Grayson Will Grayson – well, at least the John Green portion of the authorship). I’m also very excited to have heard Josh say more than once, “I think I can really like Indianapolis.” This was soon after discovering “Hank’s Brisket.”

Bonus fun fact: Both kids got into magnet school programs! Eleanor will go to an arts magnet where she’ll focus on media arts. Magnolia will go to the environmental studies magnet, and hopefully embrace some hippie values among other things like how to save the earth. I’ll leave it up her now.  The school grounds are fascinating, and I am thrilled it has inspired a scene in my WIP. Perhaps more on that tomorrow. I have a renewed sense of go-after-it-ness since much of the novel is set in Indianapolis, something I had planned long before moving here. It’s been months since I’ve written more than cover letters and resumes, and how can I resist writing in the LIBRARY, which is NOT a fart room?

Indeed, “Every little thing is going to be all right.”