It’s been two months since the sellers of our new house accepted our offer. Yesterday, we signed the closing papers and I’ll have the keys in my hot little hand within the next two hours. Finally. All that time, we’ve been staying in a furnished rental condo which, although comfortable, has that “transient” feel.

We don’t make good transients. We collect too much crap.

When we first arrived, we brought only six suitcases. The place seemed rather roomy back then. After a couple of weeks, our shipment of “personal goods” arrived in four large cartons. We left most things packed, aside from my husband’s computer and some kitchen items I needed to use cooking Thanksgiving dinner. When Christmas came, and I bought some decorations so the place didn’t feel quite so transient. Then, too, we received numerous gifts. And, of course, there were purchases all along the way: spices and dishes and canned goods in the kitchen, winter clothes for everyone, books to read, toys for my son to play with.

I’d never make it as a bag lady. Not without a U-Haul.

So, I’ll be spending most of the day carrying boxes and bags of stuff from the rental to the new place, unloading them in the garage, and repeating the trip. Our furniture and other belongings don’t arrive until tomorrow, so there’s really no place to put things away. While that doesn’t concern Hubby — whose attitude about storage is “shove it anywhere” — I hope it doesn’t start a trend. I’m a bit obsessive about organization.

How obsessive? Well, for the two months that we’ve been waiting to move, I’ve fallen asleep each night while mentally arranging furniture and organizing cupboards. I’ve spent the past week poring over books about decorating and home organization. I’ve told Hubby that all I want for Valentine’s Day is a new label maker. (Romantic, huh?). I’ve stopped watching the news in favor of HGTV.

And now that the big day is here? Now that I finally get to start moving, to lay claim to the new house, to walk through empty rooms and see if all of my carefully thought-out arrangements will actually work? Now I just remembered that I forgot to call the utility companies to arrange service, which means that the house will be dark and cold until I run by four separate offices to drop off four separate deposit checks (and a box of Krispy Kremes to bribe the cable folks into giving me an installation appointment tomorrow, since I can’t live without my internet access).

Whoops!