October 2019: Happy Harrison homeowner

Driving to our new home this week...

The past five weeks have been a whirlwind of planes, trains, automobiles and moving trucks. From Edinburgh and London in early September (9/4-9/16), back to Baltimore, a long drive and a short visit to Appleton, Gaby fly back to UCLA, fly back to Baltimore (9/25), pack and load a truck (10/3), drive two days to Cudahy, dinner with Ted, Ruth and Jane (10/4), drive to Appleton, take ownership of our new Harrison home (10/7), greet the moving truck (10/8) and start the long process of settling in.

Change the title, tags, licenses and insurance for the cars. Get a Wisconsin driver's license. Find a grocery store and a go-to place to eat. Then wait for all the shipments to arrive -- beds, mattress, sofa, lamps, bedside tables, glassware, towels, kitchen needs and more. Then trips to Target to secure the basic housekeeping needs. Discover that the appliance installer failed to turn on the water to the refrigerator and to plug in the clothes washer; fix both of those problems. Set up bank accounts. Secure trash and recycling cans from Village of Harrison. Pay the water bill. Assemble two beds, two sets of shelves. Unpack and remove packing materials. Do your first load of laundry. Assemble a desk, set up a Mac and a hot spot. Attend my first 'UWGB faculty' pre-dawn breakfast. Work with the interior designer. Consider window treatment bids. Find a landscaper and hope for a lawn by spring. Join the neighborhood Facebook page. Meet neighbors. Enjoy stunning sunrises. Re-learn skills for managing roundabouts. Greet the appraisers. Wait for television to arrive, then cable and Internet. Confirm first doctor's appointment.