With 78 days to go, not much has changed in the long-term purchase. Interest rates are stable (but not locked). The USDA still hasn’t had a chance to say “hell no!”, and the bank is waiting another month or so before they start the final process of financing.

The building itself should be more than a concrete slab at this point, but I haven’t made a trip to take a look. They have rules about supervision, so I can’t just go on a whim. Perhaps this week I’ll get a chance.

Packing has started.

One thing has changed though. Boxes have appeared in my living room. With them, my stuff is disappearing. Already, one bookshelf is stacked neatly and another stands nearly empty.

They sit there, telling me every time I look at them that this shit got real.

For now, only stuff I don’t expect to use before October gets packed. Half my pint glasses, most of my books, winter clothes… that sort of thing. But the pictures on my walls? No, they stay. They’re too important to go into hiding just yet. I can go without a DVD player, but I can’t go without my photos.