Thursday, November 30, 2006
We're back!
To all of our friends and and relatives and former colleagues and other well-wishers:
Today is the first day of the rest of our summers...
I put this page on hold back in July. I was happy with my job and VERY happy with Florida, but all was not well in Mark's World.
When we put the house on the market in June, similar homes had sold in 9-27 days. A month passed. Then two.
We became painfully - and personally - aware of the slow down in the real estate market. We had not signed up for a painfully long separation.
Then came months three, four and five.
In October, amidst a horrible couple of weeks that saw many bizarre turns of events culminating in the sudden death of our beloved elder cat 'Tude, came the call: We had a legitimate offer on 1019 Boxwood Drive.
What's more, we couldn't be happier with the great, new owners.
Last week I returned home to help complete the packing of our 15,400 pounds of possessions. Within minutes Monday of the movers pulling away from the curb, we hit the road. The car was pointed due south. We had assigned power of attorney to our wonderful representative and the closing was Thursday. On Friday, we - Mary, Louis J. Cat and I - move into our newly rented home.
It will be partly cloudy and 83 degrees, here. Good luck with that snow...
We will miss all of you who have meant so much to us over the years, but we are extremely ecstatic to be reunited exactly where we have long wanted to be. We have been touched by the many acts of kindness (and documented notions of potential entanglements with gators) and we will never forget our time in Illinois or those who made it so memorable.
Meanwhile, in this intuitive age in which we live, we may be far away in miles, but always as close as a blog, an email or a phone call. Never has this been more clear than in this, the season of the Bears. I have a found a bar inhabited by the best Chicago football fans. I stream WBBM post-game coverage. I download both WBBM podcasts and the NFL recaps on iTunes. I read the best Chicago newspaper columns on the Web, visit www.chicagobears.com and tapes of each game are mailed from Illinois to my Dad who converts them to DVD (with the expressed, written consent of the National Football League, of course).
Meanwhile, we have guest rooms. Perhaps today is the day you decide that you have had enough of Illinois winters. Need a break? Give us a call!
More later,
Mark (and Mary and Louie)
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2 comments:
Great news! I'm glad you've all arrived safely. Have fun in Florida, have enough fun for both of us.
We will never forget the great, challenging and fun work environment you created. That's what work is supposed to be, a team having fun while getting the job done.
I have a morbid fascination about what it would be like to live in a hotel for six months or so. YIKES! Did you feel like a rock star on tour?
Sorry to hear about 'Tude.
Thanks for the kind words, Suzanne! I will never forget the great Chronicle team. On one hand, I guess I will always ponder the many "What if's?" On the other, we are so excited about the great Hometown News team and the terrific opportunities ahead.
And once we unpack all the boxes, life will really be sweet..
The hotel thing was fun for a while, but it got old fast. I eventually left to move in with my parents for a few weeks, before the three-hour round-trip got old. Then, it was back to the hotel. I did make friends with all of the Holiday Inn bartenders...
'Tude just succumbed to heart failure. The vet believed a tumor may have developed in his heart. It was a low point in this whole chapter, especially for Mary who had to deal with it firsthand.
Mark
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