Nearly Tragic Moving Days [Archives]

So having decided to move to Cleveland–barely–back in the summer of 1998, we began the process of actually moving in the fall. Boy was that an adventure.

1. As shown here, for the 16 days leading up to us actually driving the moving truck to Ohio, it was over 100 degrees. I recall it being remarkably hot. I should also note that it was over 100 in DFW–our current home–for 29 days that summer. How I ended up back down here, I’ll never understand.

2. We were planning on leaving just after lunch on or about August 3. I recall Holly telling me during the lunch hour–while I was pouring sweat in the back of the moving truck–that she was pregnant. Not exactly what I was expecting. Good way to start a cross-country move. Some eight months later, Layla arrived.

3. Since Madysen and Speed were almost 5 and 4, respectively, we had planned on leaving our baby stuff behind–in Holly’s parents’ house. Change. Of. Plans. And we’ve got to extricate all of that furniture, baby paraphernalia, etc. without telling Holly’s mom. Pretty sure that failed.

4. To wit, as we pulled away from the house, I’m fairly confident that Holly’s mom was very, very irritated at me for taking her baby to freaking Cleveland.

5. We stopped to eat at the then-World’s Largest McDonald’s in Vinita, Oklahoma. That’s leaving Oklahoma in style.

Up to this point, seems pretty standard fare. But the next day, things took a turn. Know that I’m driving a full 24-foot U-Haul or Budget truck (with a 55 mph governor) towing one of our cars behind it, while Holly is cruising happily along in the sedan. Also, I’ve got one kid with me (Madysen, as luck would have it on that fateful day), and Holly the other.

6. The day starts out simply enough. I go to McDonald’s (again, yes, my stomach is queasy as I now realize consecutive meals there) in the sedan o pick up breakfast for everyone. Back at the hotel, Holly realizes that her item wasn’t right. She hops in the sedan with Speed to get it rectified, Madysen and I hop into the moving truck and start on 650 miles left on our move, figuring that Holly will catch up to us in short order.

But we do not see her again that entire day. I am completely freaked out. Madysen and I stop at every rest area and every new town along the way and call (this is before we had cell phones) her parents, my parents, her best friend, her sister, her brother, state police, etc. Neither Madysen nor I eat all day. Drive as fast as we can and then stop to call to see whether Holly has checked in with anyone, anywhere about her whereabouts. Complete radio silence. She has called no one.

Madysen and I finally reach our new house at 1 a.m. still without any idea whether Holly or Speed are actually even alive. And now I have to root through a 24-foot truck to find a telephone in complete darkness.

The Sylvania House

Somehow, Holly gets to Cleveland and calls the house (how she knew/had the phone number remains a miracle) to ask how to navigate the last 10 miles.

So what had Holly’s plan been to try to find Madysen and I? Calling anyone never, ever entered her mind.  Instead, they stopped at a fast food restaurant every hour or so and just watched traffic pass, figuring that I had to pass them at some point. While it all worked out, I was never the same.

[Originally posted March 4, 2010]