The Anderson's Great Move -- Part II

you're gonna want to read Part I first....

We drove back to Albuquerque on Monday. We stopped along the way at Arches National Park, which Scott had never been to, and Four Corners National Monument, which I have wanted to see since I was a little girl. Good fun. (I can't show pics because they're stuck in the new camera and I can't figure out where the software went for managing the pics--I'm sure it's in a box somewhere....)

*found it-here I am, in four states at once! Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.

Once we got home we started boxing everything else up right away. We had some errand stuff to take care of (brake job, join AAA, get moving truck) and we worked like crazy people to get it all done. We only had one car now so we had to take turns. Sharing is hard when you're used to your own toy. Anyway. We got everything packed up, Sabrina (Bludworth) and Yolanda (Tucker) helped me pack up the kitchen—Thanks. My Young Women came to help clean on Wednesday (I didn’t have to do the bathrooms*yeah**). Scott and I did the rest. We had everything ready to go right on time. We said farewell to Dion’s pizza *sniff* by eating dinner there on Thursday night. Our plan was to pack up and head out that night, get some of the journey over with and besides, our house was empty and we had nothing to sleep on.

I dropped Scott off at home by 6 to pack up the big yellow Penske (no U-haul for us—the alternator fell off the last one we used) with the help of the Elder’s quorum. This consists of Scott in the truck arranging the puzzle pieces of all our belongings and the other guys bring the gifts of cardboard up to him. I headed up to Sam’s club to get the contacts (prescription running out, no Sam’s in Oregon, last chance….) I even had enough time to stop at Target for some Dr. Pepper--in preparation for the long night ahead.

On my way home I accelerated at a green light and didn’t move—very far that is. Oh, great^&$% not again* This time, the check engine light came on as well. I couldn’t believe it, but the car would barely do 20, and that was with a lot of coaxing.

So. Once again, I am stranded in a dysfunctional vehicle.

I have no phone. I am not near a phone. I am not near home. It would take me 45 min to walk home and it was getting dark.

In all my brilliance, I plunged forward and kept going, the 10 min drive taking about 20, the car limping around the corner of the house where I turned it off. I mentioned to Scott (furiously loading the truck) that I killed the good car. He said he couldn’t deal with it right then. I went inside and cleaned. He loaded. Time passed.

I double checked that everything was out of every cupboard and closet and room and noticed the refrigerator still in the kitchen. This was our fridge, and we were planning on taking it with us. I went out to Scott at the truck, where he was cinching up the rope across the back so that everything didn’t fall out.

“So, you don’t have room in there for a fridge, do you?”

Ah, no, unless I wanted to leave the bookcase and Alice’s toy kitchen. Hmm….let me think about that…. (I was already forced to leave a twin bed, and two white storage cupboards—one for my fabric and one for my food). Grr%$#** The fridge stayed. I didn’t have the energy to fight for it.

Then Scott went to start the car up to drive it up onto the trailer. It didn’t start. Even cleaning the battery (thank goodness for Dr.P*) and attaching cables to jump it didn’t work. Buick down. Seriously injured (I have since found out that if the check engine light comes on, pull over and do not drive). Luckily the elders quorum are fine strong strapping youths and the six of them were able to push the car up and secure it. Yeah.

We drove out of town with all of our earthly possessions in the yellow truck (26 feet long) and towing a dead car. The second dead car in five days. (One week ago, we had a job, a house and two cars. We were living the dream. Now we had no income (temporarily albeit), a yellow truck (borrowed) and two dead chunks of metal and domestic engineering. Amazing how fast life can change.)

We drove away with a spectacular lightning display across the sky—from every side it was magnificent and it lasted hours. Fireworks in celebration? Hmm…. Now, moving trucks are not exactly the most comfortable rides. We were bounced and jostled and jiggled the whole drive. Scott made it to Cuba, we slept for 30 min., we made it to Monticello, slept for an hour and made it to Moab for breakfast. (the cinnamon rolls at the Moab diner were a disappointment, nobody makes them like mamma….) Then we were off again to Clinton. I don’t think we slept for more than an hour for 36 hours.

Will Scott & Jen make it? What exactly was wrong with the cars? Will they be fixed, or stranded? (four people don't fit in a moving truck....)

And who was that masked man anyway? --stay tuned readers, for Part III....