reality settles over us like soap scum

One of the things that I've noticed in the many, many moves I've made since leaving home for college is that packing up your life into boxes and sacks and bags never takes as long as you think it will. And unpacking them into your new space will take at least 5 times as long as you wish it would, and will leave you swearing never to move again. It took me about a year after our last move to stop the inner shudder whenever I glimpsed a U-haul on the freeway. "Oog," I'd think, or say if there were anyone in earshot (because I tend to beat horses long after they're dead), "at least we're not moving today." Hey, but in one week we will be! And in honor of that, I have ceremoniously packed the first box. Actually, the first 8 boxes. All filled with books. We're gonna need a lot more boxes.