Those of you who know me in real life know what a mess the last couple weeks have been. But let me tell you about it anyway.

Lisa is taking the job in Medicine Hat. She starts on the 24th. I'm taking off work on the 23rd to drive her down and get her settled in. Of course, her relatives are out of town until the 28th. So she and her Mom are heading down Friday to either find an apartment that can let us in immediately, or a cheap hotel for her to stay at until the 28th.

My bosses, amazing fellows that they are, are letting me telecommute three days a week from Medicine Hat. So, as long as we can get a high-speed connection at the new place, I'll be able to work at home and just drive in to Calgary once a week. When I'm in town, I'll stay at my folks' place.

Two problems. My computer at home is insufficiently powerful to handle my workload. It's a really pretty game playing device, but every time I load any business applications -- whammo! Blue screen of death. So, we have to upgrade. Theoretically, my computer lease will allow me to switch computers, but the store where I bought the computer doesn't use that leasing company anymore. So I've got to contact the leasing company and see if they switch it over somewhere else. Ugh.

Second problem. Our wonderful vehicle, Bruno the El Camino, will be completely unable to handle a weekly trip back and forth between cities. Even if we get the brakes fixed, the radiator leak sealed and the ball joints replaced, it will still be virtually undriveable if there is any ice on the road. The El Camino is a rear-wheel drive vehicle, with no weight in the back to give it any traction. Even with six sandbags, we still can't drive uphill after a snowfall.

So we've been going to car lots to find a nice used car. This is something neither of us has done -- all our cars have been acquired through parental assistance, or through private sales -- so I'm sure I'm going to get screwed on this somehow. We'll probably keep Bruno, just so Lisa has something to toodle around Medicine Hat in.

Once Lisa is gone, it will be up to me to hire movers and pack up the entire apartment. Another thing we've never done, but with the amount of crap we have and the distance between towns, I don't expect our friends will be able to help out, no matter how much beer and pizza I offer them.

Then there is all the other crap that is part of moving. Forwarding the mail, changing phones, Internet access, cable, sending our new address to all the Visa Vultures out there... Man. I hate moving.

We've got to drop off the committee for next year's Con-Version, and I'll most likely have to quit some of my gaming groups, depending on what days I'll be in town. We're going to have to struggle not to miss Joel's annual Non-Traditional Christmas Party. I can't even imagine what Christmas itself will be like, as Lisa will probably be working right through the holiday.

Anyway, we're both complete basket cases. If anyone wants to take us out to dinner, it'll be a big help. Thanks in advance.

We'll miss you

Yesterday, you talked about the X-Files premiere

So did you get the car?

Take me home, big fella