Moving Out and Fitting In

This weekend we started getting serious and getting organized for moving.  We finalized squaring away our finances to pay for our future party pad, as well as working out how we were going to pay to physically move three humans and four feisty felines halfway across the country.  The timing is also going to be challenging, as Greg doesn't finish school till May 15, and I start work May 24.

We've decided to have a moving sale in early May, as well as starting to clear out things to go to charity that we don't think people will buy (people don't tend to buy adult clothing at yard sales in my experience).  

To that end, tonight Gregory and I went through our shirt drawers.  Each partner was allowed to vote to toss a shirt or keep it, and it was based on how it looks on the person, what condition it was in, and our personal sense of style, as well as how we feel we might fit in while we're there.  (For instance, while I'm not getting rid of them or hiding my liberalness, I maybe don't always need to poke the bear with my extensive collection of political tee shirts, so the rattiest ones went adios!).  Our pile was pretty impressive (I can now shut my drawers!),  and we did the Marie Kondo method of honoring the items and thanking them for their service in our lives, which made me feel a bit better about tossing so many things that a month ago, I wouldn't have thought twice about.

This led to a conversation about how my experience in the Pierre WalMart indicates that there does not seem to be a reusable bag/paper only policy.  We are running low on plastic bags here and were trying to decide how to bag up these shirts.  So I told Greg that when we move, we'll have all the plastic bags we can possibly handle.  He said, "Well, I think I'll still want to use my reusable bags."  To which I replied, "Greg!  Do you want them to think we're a bunch of hippies!?"  Apparently yes.  Yes he does.

So I said, "Ok, but can you at least do it wearing a cowboy hat?"  And he said he would if I got him a cowboy hat.  So look out, Pierre, because this tough customer is going to be strolling through a grocery store near you sometime soon.

Then he decided I should try out this look...  So being the excellent sport I am, I did.  

George is dubious.

Of course, this is all very stereotypical, both of South Dakota and of the East Coast.  I find myself wondering a lot about what it will really be like to live there and if we'll fit in.  I liked all the people I met there at first blush, so I'm hopeful that we'll find our squad eventually.