Movin' on down.

My mom moved today--from behind the Pine Curtain to the Hill Country. Quite a change, if I do say so myself. I'm very proud of and excited for her. This is a big deal: She's always lived within 10 miles of where she was born, but no more. Now she lives a mere 54 miles from my driveway.

I dropped the Geej at school, took the day off, and went down to meet the movers and help her begin the unpacking process. My aunt Luanne and her husband Jean-Paul are there as well, helping her to get settled. We got a lot accomplished by the time I had to leave to come back and fetch La Geej from escuela.

Man, am I tired. Moving is hard fucking work. My back is aching, my dogs are barking, and boy do I stink. Tomorrow, the Geej and I are heading down there for the weekend. It's so cute: Mom has a whole room set up for her--crib, toy chest, baby supplies. She even got her her own little rocking chair to match the two adult-sized ones on the front porch. So damn sweet. I'm actually going to leave the baby down there on Sunday because I have to work on Monday, and the daycare is closed for Labor Day. It'll be the first night I've spent at home alone since March. It's going to be weird, but maybe I can get that uninterrupted night of sleep I've been craving...

I just poured myself a big ass glass of wine and am waiting for some laundry to get done so that I can bathe my nasty self. I've got a lot to do before I can go to bed though: get Geej's and my stuff together for the weekend; get my Katrina donations together (they're doing a big collection tomorrow at the store where I work, and have asked for gently used baby clothes and towels/sheets--both of which I have plenty of); wash dishes; put away laundry; and, water plants. But really, all I want to do is collapse in a heap on the floor.

By the way, I saw one of the most intense and complete rainbows I can ever remember seeing today while I was driving back to Austin. I hope it was an sign that everything is going to get easier and better--not just for me and my mom, but for the countless individuals who have been suffering so horribly this week along the Gulf Coast.