21 Hours of Moving

WARNING: I am going to bitch and complain in this post. If you don’t want to read that kind of crap, turn away now.

Dare I explain last Saturday to you? I’m not certain you’d want to hear about it because I’m going to bitch and swear like a sailor. Then again, maybe you’ll enjoy that and have a laugh at my expense. It’s okay. I really don’t mind. If I did, I wouldn’t put it up here for all the world to see. =)

Where, oh where, to begin? Let’s start with me waking up at 7 a.m. to a phone call. My alarm was set for 8 a.m. I fell asleep somewhere around 3 a.m.—perfectly normal for me, mind you. The reason for the call was Deni asking me if I knew my brother wasn’t coming down to Tucson with her boyfriend J and Pasha to help me move. “Excuse me?” were the words out of my mouth and likely the only words I could form after four hours of sleep aside from f-bombs. Speaking of which, the next sentence out of my mouth was, “Are you fucking kidding me?” when she proceeded to explain that she’d texted both Akhi and Pasha to let them know J was on his way, AND when she told me about the text from Akhi stating there was a change in plans, that he wasn’t going to Tucson, and that he’d meet us all at Umi’s apartment.

You want to know my issue with this? I didn’t receive a text or phone call from HIM about this. In fact, after my conversation with Deni, I called him . . . THREE times. He didn’t answer. Finally, I sent a text: You need to answer the damn phone and tell me what the hell is going on. He’s the one who gave me the date when I asked him when he could help me so I could schedule a truck. The reason he didn’t come to Tucson? His boss called him into work. Some jackass, who was supposed to be moved the day before, changed his mind and decided at the very last fucking minute to move the same day as me. Akhi asked me what he was supposed to do. I didn’t answer. That would have been bad.

So  . . . J, Pasha, and I loaded all my crap into the truck. Kitty helped too, but I didn’t want her to hurt herself again. Last year, she broke her damn knee kneeling in the bed of my truck.

*Side note: I moved on the EXACT same day as last year. Fucking weird.

This move would have gone a helluva lot faster had Akhi been there. In fact, it would have cut the time in half. J and Pasha got all the big stuff in the truck and a lot more, and then J went to lunch with a friend while Pasha and I finished up. He met up with us right before we left for Tempe, which is a two-hour drive. J went to pick up Deni while Pasha and I headed straight for the apartment. Fifteen minutes before I arrived at Umi’s, I received a text from her telling me that Akhi was there. Great. We arrived and five minutes later he told me that he’d forgotten about dinner plans his girlfriend made with a friend who was leaving town.

That’s right, he fucking bailed on me before lifting a single finger to unload my truck. My brother. Isn’t that spectacular? I told him thanks for his help, that I really appreciated it, and not to worry because I’d hire movers next time and it wouldn’t be his boss.

His anger management classes must be working because he walked away from me. Smart.

I called Kitty to vent, and then I called Big Daddy to see if he knew anyone who could help me because I knew he was at work and couldn’t help. No one was available. I texted Deni to let her know the situation. She and J immediately stopped whatever they were doing and headed over. I just tried to keep myself from having a meltdown because there was no way Pasha and I could move everything. When Deni arrived, she asked if I called G. I told her I didn’t have his number in my new phone. She called him, asked what he was doing, and then said “Jinxie needs your help.” That’s all it took, though he was in the middle of dinner. She said the same thing to Scootie, who’d just gotten home from working with his dad all day at his shop. I’ve known these two men for twenty fucking years, haven’t seen them or talked to them in a year and a half, and they both dropped whatever they were doing and came to my aid. THAT is friendship, people. And in this case and all my past experience with so-called family, water is thicker than blood.

Scootie arrived first and the remarks started flying. By the way, both men are smartasses. I don’t think I know anyone who isn’t.

When G arrived, the first thing out of his mouth was, “Do I look like a piece of meat?”

Of course, I had to reply with, “Yes, G, you do.”

“You don’t call, you don’t email,” he said.

“I’ve been busy,” I replied.

“Whatever.”

I love them both. I really do.

If it hadn’t been for these wonderful people whom I’m proud as hell to call friends, I wouldn’t have been able to get all my shit loaded into the truck, unloaded and upstairs. Especially the gigantic TV, which took four of them to carry up.

Now, I’d like to add in here that Deni and J had a dinner appointment as well (*ahem* Akhi, pay attention). I didn’t know about this until halfway through unloading the truck. I apologized to her and told her to go. She shook her head and said, “No, this comes first.” Comes first? You mean I’m more important than a dinner with friends? *gasp* Akhi, take notes. That’s right, my friend kept her promise to help me, even when shit started falling apart, regardless of her plans. This is why I love her. Akhi? Not so much right now.

When all that was left was the mattress, Deni and J left, and G and Scootie and I talked a bit. We talked about jobs and such. I told them what I’d been up to lately with Running Ink Press, Zombie Survival Crew and my editing for a publishing house. G perked right up at the latter. He’s been trying to write a book for YEARS. He and Scootie grabbed the mattress and started carrying it up.

G said, “Maybe I’ll have you look at my book. You can help me with it.”

I walked out of the truck. “Is it finished yet?”

“In my head,” he replied as Scootie backed up the stairs, laughing.

I can’t edit your brain, dumbass. No, I didn’t say it. I should have, but I only just now thought of it.

They were both interested in the ZSC stuff, and after telling them about Albuquerque (yes, they got the more personalized version I can’t talk about. Sorry), they mentioned the Phoenix Comicon, which is in May. I told them I’d be in Dallas the 21^st and 22^nd.

Turns out the Phoenix Comicon is the following weekend (which I just discovered is the same weekend as Spooky Empire’s Mayhem . . . crap) and G said he’d buy tickets on Friday. No clue if he did or not. He also wants to know when and where I’m traveling once that starts because he travels for work. Watch out, Comicons, if he comes with me! HA!

By the way, since I don’t have internet right now, I’m writing this the night before posting (and I was supposed to post it on Friday). Kitty just told me on Twitter that I should write about all the things I’m grateful for. Um, look up. I just talked about that. The bitch wants arrows. —> I’m ever so grateful for my friends. Happy now, Count?

Look, I know I bitch a lot. It’s what I do. Sometimes, it’s what entertains you. I do try to be funny about it, but I’m a pessimistic bitch. It’s probably why I’m single. I try to be optimistic, but it’s damn difficult. I do succeed now and then, however. For instance, I’m not looking at this craphole I live in now, but focusing on getting Umi and me into a house near g-ma this summer, which means focusing on work—all three huge projects. Those and Umi are my priorities right now. I intend to start traveling the USA this summer for the ZSC. RIP will launch with the ZSC anthology in March. I’m doing my best with the editing and just finished the first round of edits on a full MS. If I can do a good job, and they keep throwing books at me to edit, I’ll be just fine. And I’ll be in a house this summer. One thing at a time, people.

Oh, and I AM happy right now, regardless of how pissed off I am at my brother.

Also? I can control my temper. For instance, Akhi is still alive.

Moving *shudders* on . . .

Pasha rode back to Tucson with me to return the truck and pick up Moon. Kitty fed us In-and-Out Burger and helped me a little with gas for the truck. I had to leave a few things there because I had no room in my ‘lanche for them, so I still need to go back and I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to do that right now.

Anyway, I dropped Pasha off at 3 a.m. and walked Moon in her double harness up the stairs at 3:20 a.m. Then I collapsed for several hours after being awake for more than 20.

This was the other day.

So yeah, I’m dead. See the next post.