On your mark, get set, ... sneeze?

Starting out early with packing has its advantages. Since we're doing virtually all the packaging for our cross-country move ourselves - a more daunting task than I realized - it's good not to be crowded for time. In fact, it's ten days until go, and we are just about ready. Ten days without garbage pickup, by the way, because of the holiday, and the next one may or may not be at the same time when the huge semitrailer will be parked in our driveway. We're making contingency plans.

Our living room, or "great room," has been transformed into a combination warehouse and packaging station. Boxes are stacked everywhere, and in the middle, in front of the television, are piles with things yet to be boxed, as well as paper, boxes, tape rolls, sharpies (why do they always seem to disappear?) and labels.

This is also where the sneezing, sniffling, running nose comes in. I'm allergic to house dust, and our formerly meticulous home has been transformed into a dust factory. Not everywhere, but just at the central packaging site, which is where, unfortunately, I spend my evenings relaxing. It's going to be a long ten days!