Is This Home?

I know I said I was finished, but not yet. I've said a lot of things, heh.

So I'm home and doing the reverse -- opening boxes, finding spaces for things, and so on. I swear it's worse than packing!

On top of that, I'm bored. Mighty bored. I don't know what to do with myself, and am gettin' on L's nerves, I can tell. Things just seem anticlimaxtic. One day everyone wants to know what I'm thinking and doing and who I'm talking to and what I'm saying. Today, no one cares.

Of course, Fox kept their cameras on me as I made my way to TX, and they promised that they'd check in with me from time to time, but they're gone now. And it's just us. We'll adjust, though, just give us time...

Bye for now!

Had the O's and the B's in for coffee this morning. M. brought cookies, which were delicious. They were surprised at the progress we made in packing stuff up since the last time they visited -- most of it was done last night. I gave them a few last-minute tips about WH quirks, and now it's limo time.

It hits me as we ride past the incredible crowds of cheering masses -- I am dog tired. Exhausted. I'm done which is a relief, but am I now a has-been? How will I be remembered? Will I just be forgotten? B. is talking to me along the way, but what he's saying doesn't register.

Now we're up in the stands, ready for the swearing in. So many familiar faces, yet I feel very alone. C. is here in a wheelchair. Turns out he pulled somethin' moving boxes out of his office in the WH. We're definitely going out much different than we came in.

Post ceremony, I'm back at the WH and ready to go. I say goodbye to to the WH staff who have provided exemplary service and support over the past 8 years. I will miss them.

I walk in the Oval Office and it's still there. I've been thinking a lot about it over the past couple of days, turning it over and over in my head -- very unlike me. But now it's clear. I grab the shoe and walk out the door, L.'s hand in mine. I fire up the U-Haul's engine, and start the journey back toward the hot Texas sun.

Extension is a no-go!

B. said no to my plea for an extension. I'm not surprised; he's pretty much acted as if he were the big 'P' from the day he got elected. And maybe the whole Blair House mishap had something to do with it, sour grapes, turnabout is foul play and all that...

It's going to be a late night, maybe even an all-nighter like I used to pull at Yale. Oh well, I don't have to do a whole lot else to do tomorrow morning anyway. Show up, ride in the limo, and stand and smile. I can do it. And at this point I don't even care anymore about the deposit -- I'm tired of moving.

An Impossible Deadline?

We're not going to be ready in time, it's that simple. So many forces conspiring against us! I misun... everything got held up when I took the surprise trip to Iraq, my extra press conference, the ex-Ps' lunch at the WH, and we're paying for it now. I'm gonna have my people contact B's people to see about an extension. Tuesday by noon just isn't do-able. I haven't even finished going through my desk! An extra day or two would probably do it. If he won't do it gratis, perhaps we can do some sort of prorating thing, and he could deduct from the deposit...

Still Packin'!

Still trying to get it all together. Box after box after box after box. Just like clearing brush, it's an endless task.

I still have the shoe I kept from the recent 'incident.' I figured he made it obvious that didn't want it, so it's mine. L. says I should just get rid of it. C. says I should get rid of it. D. says I should burn it. It's worn, not my size, kind of smelly, and I've got only one. Yet for some reason, I am torn.

Gotta Have Direction

On the advice of those young fellas on Saturday Night Live, I went to Google maps to find the 'dopest route.' 20 hours and 20 minutes -- does that include potty breaks for the dogs? Maybe I'll just put them up in Mom's Attic. Heh.

I think we may swing by Little Rock and check out C's library. The guy gives me the willies, but I may get a few good ideas I could 'borrow' for my own. I print out the directions (one way!) and notice that the roof of the WH is blanked out. Strange.

I-Haul

Getting a reservation for a large enough U-Haul truck is a PITA!!! Looks like I'm going to have to pick it up the day before from somewhere all the way out in SW. I'm pretty sure I've never been out there before. And $1,648+ for a one-way rental? It's no wonder the housing market is in the commode.