First, a huge thank you to Walt and Renate who left the Wednesday before the move. We couldn't have made all the final preparations without them. Especially since I arrived home from the house hunt with the flu and then Finn got a cold.
The house we found has two bedrooms, a fireplace, enclosed backyard, and an attic space that we can use for a guest room and study. It's in a section of town call Rose City Park and it's close enough that I can bike to work, but far enough out to not be too urban. There's a nice little village close by, too, with restaurants, cafes, and bars.
Anyway, Oz Movers arrived Thursday, the family de-camped to the mostly adequate Ramada Plaza JFK until Friday. And while the Ramada is nothing to write home about (except that I am writing home about it right now, I guess) we enjoyed our little visit to the farthest reaches of Queens. On Friday, we we boarded a Delta flight to Portland. "Half the fun is getting there" seems like a cruel joke and it certainly does not apply to our trip. We can say with certainty that we DO NOT RECOMMEND, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, AIR TRAVEL WITH A SICK INFANT AND A CAT. The fun began at JFK when, at security, we had to carry both child and cat through the check point meaning Finn had to be removed from the stroller and Tinker taken out of his carrier. I was sure I was going to loose him. Once on the plane, we sat on the runway for an hour before take off. Finn fussed and refused to nurse all six hours and Tinker figured out a way to get out of his carrier (though he never actually got loose). It was just awful. Of course, Veronica was a total trooper and put a smile on for most of the flight:
Once in Portland, a doula, Christy Hall, and special car service met us at the airport. Christy had grocery shopped for us in advance and the FedEx box of essentials had I sent from Jackson Heights had arrived. The Proctor clan bedded down (sort of) and slept for as long as Finn would let us.
Oh, and we were so tried and dizzy, that I forgot my suit bag on the carousel at the airport. Nice work, Anj! Thankfully, Delta found it and it was delivered the next day.
