Ok well I'm going to start off the NaBloPoMo with a bunch of rambley stuff about how we found a new apt in (technically) less than 2 hrs, 2 phone calls, and 2 visits with potential landlords ... and then moved into the new place in one week.

Today we moved into our new place: An old house in an old city. Fortunately, the house is not as old as the city. But it is still a small town that neighbors our old small town. Let me see if I can walk you through the inter-connectivity of it all.

Where do I start? OH let's start with the thing that brought us to this part of the country -- Billy's job. Yep that job is what got us to NY and, well, I can't exactly tell you why we stay. Mostly, we enjoy the area.

Anyway Billy was at work ten days ago when I called him about a very disturbing matter that made moving to a new apt an imperative. So while Billy's supervisor drove him north, an hour, to get him home, his boss called their previous boss. Now, you have to understand, we live quite a ways from his place of employment. The odds of us living anywhere near one of his bosses when he started this job were very slim. But ... you know ... God has His ways and plans.

In the mean time, I called my dad. My dad has his own hot wire's to heaven. First off, you should know that he was 10 minutes from walking out the door to send me my sewing machine that has been stuck in Texas for lo these many years. He had planned to leave earlier but something had detained him. So, I told Daddy not to send the sewing machine. Told him why. And I asked him to please pray for us. He said "OK" and then commenced praying. He thanked God for watching over us by detaining him from shipping my sewing machine. He asked God to protect us and to guide me to just the right apt for us.

Sooo, I got to the local cafe where I was planning to meet Billy, and my friend Linda called and gave me some advice and then I looked in the local paper and I placed two phone calls to two potential apartments. The first one didn't answer and never returned my call and I have to say ... I never had the chance to miss them. I placed a second call, talked to a person, got through my initial stumbling and shaken intro and made arrangements to meet him with Billy that very evening.

Then ... and then ... I didn't really want to make any more calls. And wa-la another friend walked into the cafe ... someone I never see in the cafe unless she's on her way out to go to work ... but that day she was just out and about and so she sat down and visited with me ... she had no clue what was going on but it was such a blessing to get to visit with her.

And then just as she was leaving, Billy came in ... and right on his heals, yet another friend came in. And she wanted us to look at her house as well. So we made an appointment to meet with her.

Now, here's a weird insert ... I found out about the disappointing situation we were suddenly living in on my morning visit to the cafe. But when the ladies that run the cafe figured out that I actually was going to move out of the crazy situation ... they got mad at me. If you knew how crazy that was ... anyway ... they're so upset that a body could be convinced that these ladies would run a fund raiser for my ex-landlord and advertise his recently vacated apt!

Ok sooo we went to see the apt that I called about and ... we liked the landlord and the apt and the location. Then the next a.m. we went up and saw my friend's house. OK let me just tell you right here and now: If you live on the NY, CT state line and you're looking for property ... Oh My Goodness, you have got to see this place! Unfortunately, we would have needed two running vehicles and more income in order to really move there and survive well.

Soo called the first apt guy back and took the apt. And he turned down (according to his count) three other lookers.

Innnn the mean time ... back at work ... The boss's old boss, who does live up in this area, called his daughter who works for the county ... and she then called someone who works in our city government ... who then called the old boss back on Monday and said "If his name is Billy, He's fine. I go to [a very small] church with him and next week he and his wife are moving into a trailer behind the pastor's home."

The old boss called Billy with this news ... Billy had to think a bit and then corrected the idea. "No, we're using a trailer that's behind the pastor's house to move to another apt."

Wednesday, we got the Internet set up and two friends showed up and each brought a load over to the new place. Thursday, another friend brought over another load.

And then the Big Moving Day was today. The guys met up at the church and then migrate to the old place. The husband of the confused lady also works for the city and he showed up with his pick-up to help move.

Meanwhile Linda and I migrated on over to the new place with the first run of stuff. In the car, Linda told me all about how the guy that she works with ... wait wait let me tell you ... she works in a city an hour from our home ... anyway, the guy she works with use to live up in this area. He use to know the lady who owned the house decades ago and use to fish from the little dock that's on the swamp behind the house. (Yes, there's a reason it's called The Great Swamp. I still have the swamp out my back window.) I loved hearing good stuff about the place.

Then, Linda and I dumped our stuff at the new place and all the guys caught up to us with their stuff ... and Linda and I run around a bit on a few errands ... and met back up with the guys at the old place. OK and then we found out that the lady who lives above us (at the new place) ... well she use to work for the city with the couple that still works for the city ... and she is now working with the wife of one of the other guys.

There's so much more I'd love to tell you about this story ... but ... not everything belongs on this blog.

Oh, I will mention that we needed a first floor apartment, that allowed a dog, and was very reasonably priced, that was a short walk to the train (via a sidewalk), and we needed it to be available almost immediately, and we didn't want a dump! This is not an easy thing to accomplish. The new level of urgency also added a few more complications ... but again ... that's not for here and now. Anyway !!! We'd been looking off and on for several months ... just enough to know ... we really wanted a very complicated thing.

And trust me on this: Everybody up here can make a connection in three degrees or less. Even the Johnny-come-lately's. And if God and Church are involved, woosh! Things move fast!