It’s been a heck of a week. Besides getting the blogged re-launched and the usual day job stuff, we’re trying to kick the unpacking back into high gear. So far, unpacking after the move seems to have several stages:

1. Moving Day: “Oh, my God! Did we get everything? Are all the boxes going in the right place? I must start unpacking noooooowwwwww!”
2. Day One through whenever you have to go back to the office: Unpack, go buy things you realize you need, unpack, collapse, unpack, go buy more things you need, unpack, argue with spouse about the upcoming trip to Ikea, unpack, collapse, unpack, realize you do need to eat somewhere in there, wash, rinse, repeat.
3. First Week: Go to work, run errands after work because somehow household basics have disappeared, unpack and hook up technology.
4. The Trip to IKEA (Other big box stores selling flat-pack furniture are available): Realize that what seemed just a few pieces are actually mounds of boxes that weigh about 80 pounds apiece. Give up any idea of carrying them home in the car and pay to have them delivered. Realize shopping trip has taken most of the day.
5. Second through Fourth Week: Start building furniture when you can. Unpacking begins to slow down because hauling furniture pieces out of boxes and putting it together is tiring. Besides, you need the furniture put together to put it on.
6. Fifth through Seven Week: You’ve got a few areas put together, the computer is up and accessible (even if there are still boxes in the corner of the office), the breakfast nook with your new table is absolutely lovely (even if the bookcases are empty because you haven’t found the boxes with your cookbooks), the bedroom feels reasonable comfortable (shove unpacked boxes into the second closet) and you start to settle in. You watch television instead of unpacking, deciding to leave that mostly for the weekends. You buy something you know you have, but you can’t find it and it’s just easier.
7. Eighth Week: You realize the cats have decided the largest clump of boxes are their new cat tree. You attempt to unpack, but put it off.
8. Ninth Week: Discover you need something you know you packed but you can’t find. Tear half a dozen boxes apart looking for it. Find it, and put one or two other items away. Stub your toe the next morning because things aren’t where you were used to having them. Realize you have actually gotten comfortable having the boxes around. Have a glass of wine to ease the shock.

That’s where I am now. We’ve been in the new place for two and a half months and it’s surprisingly easy to just settle into a life where the spots you use the most are comfortable and everything else looks like a warehouse. That needs to start changing, so this weekend is going to be devoted entirely to unpacking. Well, except for tomorrow morning, because I’ve got a workshop to attend — and some errands to run after that. And, Sunday, well, it’s a big day because we’re doing Blessing of the Animals at church and…

Um, send good thoughts. This is going to be a little harder than I thought.