FROM A MOVER'S JOURNAL

Previously unannounced on the pages of theosebes is the fact that my family and I are moving to Wilsonville, Alabama where I will be working with a congregation down there. We're all looking forward to it, as much as we hate to leave Kentucky.

Today was just one of "those days" in the life of a mover.

As you might imagine, we're trying to get boxes packed in preparation of loading the U-Haul at the end of the month. There were some boxes left over from our last move, but those have been rather quickly filled with books. One of the main things my wife Traci wanted was some packing paper (for dishes and such, which you can buy from U-Haul), so we figured out which boxes to buy, and I checked the U-Haul site for a convenient location. There's one in Wilmore (just 5 miles away) but a quick call discovered the place closes at noon on Tuesdays (yes, I know, but Wilmore is pretty tiny). That meant a drive into Lexington.

Well, since I'm going to Lexington I decide to take in a box I need to ship to California via UPS. I'll run by the closest U-Haul place to there, I think to myself. The box prepared, I drop off it off at Kinko's, stop in the used-clothing store Plato's Closet next door and find a pair of $7 Alfani tan wool dress pants. Not bad at all.

So off to the U-Haul on Southland, which doesn't seem to be there (well, Southland is there, the U-Haul place isn't). I drove the length of Southland. I turned around and drove back. Nothing. I turn again. Finally, I call the number I had written down. No answer. Preparing to head to the other U-Haul address I had jotted down I notice across the street a Budget/Ryder rental place--aha! I pull in, tell the guy what boxes I need, then ask for packing paper. "We're out of that. I used to have some." *sigh* Well, I'd already told him what boxes I wanted, so I paid for those and started off for the other U-Haul place anyway.

For some reason the street isn't where I remembered it being on the map, so I consult Traci via cell phone and she's able to guide me in off the online map. This place is a gas station/convenient mart/U-Haul and the teenager at the counter doesn't know packing paper. The boss guy walking in (his Dad?) doesn't seem to know it either. We look in the box room...nope, no packing paper. "We don't carry that."

Back on the phone with Traci who is ordered to call yet another U-Haul place in Lexington. She does, and they refer her to the "main U-Haul store" in Lexington. Ah, now we're getting somewhere! My lovely wife demands of this "main U-Haul store" if they have packing paper there, in stock, today. "Yes," they assure her.

So off I go to New Circle Road beside the Parkette drive-in restaurant to the "main U-Haul store." The time: 5 PM, rush hour. I make it there, go in the store and--sure enough--packing paper! $8.80/box for 140 big sheets. I grab two and some styrofoamy packing stuff for good measure. I stand there holding these in line behind a woman who's buying wardrobe boxes and overhear something about "credit card system being down."

Uh-oh.

I speak up, somewhat tentatively, "Did you say the credit card system was down?"

"I'm afraid so. Down on the whole street."

You have probably ascertained, I was planning on paying by credit card. The checkbook was at home. As I was placing the items back on the shelf, I did remember I had a small amount of cash, enough to pay for one box of packing paper at least.

So I left with one box, enough for Traci to get started, and thankful I had bought the boxes earlier at Budget.