[121] My Life in a 5x8 Container

Have you ever looked around at all of your belongings? Deciding what size trailer to rent for a one-way move?
I have. Multiple times.

Not-so-long story short, Shawno and I broke up. I have been homesick for the last 6 months of 2011, so, with the breakup, it was time for me to move back home. New England just isn't for me, nor would I have been able to afford to stay there.

I packed up everything I owned in our apartment, shoved it in a 5x8 U-haul, and started on my 2230 mile drive home. This trip didn't come without its complications. Somewhere along the highway in Connecticut, drivers were making poor choices.

On more than one occasion, a few people had to slam on their brakes in front of me. If you've ever towed a full trailer, you'll know that slowing down takes a little extra work from your brakes. Unfortunately for me, my front driver side brake pads needed to be replaced. I made the decision to drive all the way to Virginia with brakes that sounded absolutely horrible. The day I arrived at Regina's, we stopped at the auto part store so I could pick up some brake pads, rotors, and other essential items. Finished the night with Chinese buffet for dinner, short trip to Babies R Us to get wooden toys for the kiddies, and a couple more stops for things before heading back to her house.

The next morning, I was up at 6am, and outside by 7am to start working on changing my brake pads and rotors. This was no easy task. I had trouble removing my front driver side wheel. For whatever reason, this thing would not come off. No matter how hard I pulled. (And yes, I did remove the lug nuts before someone tries to get smart.) Luckily, Regina contacted a friend to come out and help me. I am so thankful for this man. He also had a c-clamp I lacked. I had everything else I needed thanks to my trusty new tool kit!

After banging at the wheel with a hammer for a bit, it finally loosened and we were able to start changing the brakes. Mike changed the driver side (while I watched every step) as I have only done this once before. He had me turn the car around so I could change the passenger side pads and rotors. Exactly what my dad does when it comes to working on car things. So thankful for Mike!

People think I am crazy for spending the night at highway rest areas and Walmart parking lots. They're a lot safer than Lifetime makes you think. After leaving one part of Virginia, I spent the night in the parking lot of a familiar Walmart. (My family holds a reunion in that area every summer.) The drive was smooth up until Tennessee where I ran into some heavy rain. Major highways through major cities are always rough during rush hour. I was almost successful at planning my stops to avoid any rush hour traffic.

The weather continued to be rainy through most of Tennessee and on into Arkansas. The rain finally let up shortly after West Memphis. Smooth ride through Oklahoma, except when my energy drink kept me from napping. One final nap before I finished that last stretch of highway through Oklahoma, down into Texas. Walked in my parents front door at 6:30am Friday morning. Running on a Monster Rehab, I was unable to sleep until Friday night, after a day trip to Arlington to visit my sister-in-law (bff's wife) and kiddies. Best way to be welcomed home!

Now I'm back in my hometown and living in my parents house. Keeping it classy at 25.

I'm on the hunt for topics to blog about. I have a few things on my craft to-do list for friends. Included on that list is my next batch of hand-made items for Christmas time. As well as hand-made items I've promised to a few friends. :)

First of all, I must tackle my old bedroom. It has managed to become a bit of a storage room as my siblings have moved out, while my 16 year old sister has taken over our 22 year old sisters old room (for the sole reason that it has cable hookups). This project will require freshly painted walls, steam cleaning the carpet, and switching out furniture between this room and my sisters room.

The second project will be to tackle the computer desk which is currently in the kitchen's breakfast area. I fully plan on turning it back into a breakfast area, but first I want to remove the huge desk (that is barely used by anyone other than my little sister). Change it out for a smaller desk/table and get my dad a filing cabinet for his important documents.

The third, and biggest project, will be to clean out the "game room". Aiming to turn this room back into a computer room/den for my dad. When we first bought the house in the 90's, the game room doubled as my brother's bedroom and dad's computer room. If not a den, I would love to make this a guest bedroom. It would be nice to have a place for friends and family to stay when visiting.

Whew, so many projects. On top of that, I have less than 2 months left to reach my weight loss goal. Once I get my scale set up I'll figure out how much I have left to lose. Thanks to this unusually warm winter season, I'll be able to get out and go for walks/jogs/runs without freezing. Time to get back into eating more fresh veggies!

Happy Blogging!