A Hand in My Chest

Coming back to an empty house was a lot harder than I thought. All I can see are "ghosts" of the past. For the first couple of days I had trouble sleeping, and just walking around the place makes me feel as if there's a hand in my chest, squeezing. It's as if I've lost them, even though I know there in Mount Horeb, and I'll see them again. It all happened to fast! From the time I met Teri until now has been a blur. It's hard to work on the house.



I took a short drive just to get out of the house. I made the mistake of going to Mount Odin Park, where I took this photo. It was a mistake to go there. This was the park that Freja and I went to the most. On the way back from grocery shopping we'd often play here before going home. I've not felt this sense of melancholy in many, many years. All I could do is reminisce.



I have to snap out of it...

A New Frontier

Three days in the new town and I get my first shoot. How cool is that? The house inspector's wife owns JJ's Home, et cetra, a boutique on Main Street. They needed a photo taken of a special troll carving that's making the rounds of the local shops. All I had was my 35 f/1.4L and one flash head. I'd traveled very light, leaving all my gear back in PA.

They wanted to highlight the fact they're the exclusive Trollbeads seller in the area. While it's not the best shot technically, I think I was able to do OK for a "punt" shoot. After arranging the scene just so, I had the store owner hold my flash head, bouncing off the ceiling and using plan paper as a modifier. The idea was to make it look like light from a large window off to the side.

I have to admit it was fun. If only I'd had the right gear...



It was also nice to get to know someone from the town. So far everyone I've met has been really pleasant and easy to interact with. I've even gotten a good dose of gossip on people I don't know yet! It's going to be interesting to live in small town where folks seem to know each other well. We'll always be "that Pittsburgh couple" I'm sure.

I think this will be a great place to base my business from. Of course, it will be a while before I'm truly in the air. I have to begin with the basics, like finding a CPA to help me understand WI tax laws. Fortunately the owner's of this particular store have one in their family. It'll be my first stop when I begin to set up.

There's a great sense of excitement as I think about the various directions I hope to explore and expand upon. There's an entire new region for me to work in! I've taken the time to review just about all the local photographers' sites, both here in this town and in Madison itself. There's a lot of talent, and artist skill to be had. My style is somewhat different though. It's not better, but I may be able to offer something else. Hiring a shooter is like hiring a portrait painter. One may specialize in abstract, another impressionism while another high realism. It's entirely subjective, based on the taste of the consumer.

With time, I think I'll do very well here.

House Inspection

After dropping Freja off at school we went to the house we plan on moving into come spring. We went for the house inspection, and just to see the house again of course. We just love this home! Both of us really appreciate Arts & Crafts style houses. To have found one that we both love, in a town we both like, seems like destiny.



What was especially wonderful was getting to know the current owner a little better. She told us all about the neighborhood, and the quirks of the house. We're hoping to get to know her a little more. It would be especially nice to learn all there is to know about the place from someone who's been there for 40 years.

Off to School You Go

It was Freja's first day of school. She's attending the Preschool of the Arts. It's a great school that uses the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching. A method we feel is ideally suited to her personality.



I'm sure it's going to be a big adjustment for her. First we moved to a new city, then she began school and then I head back to the old house for about a month to wrap things up. I hope she handles it as well as a 3 year old can.



The staff of the really has impressed us with how much they're willing to be flexible and understanding of our circumstances. First in allowing her to begin late, and then allowing us to add afternoon daycare for the month that I am gone. They also seemed to be able to integrate Freja into the class even though she's so new to the experience.

Of course, after only her first week we were called because she'd stuck a wad of tissue up her nose and couldn't get it out... oh brother.

The Forerunner

Our plan is simple. I'll drive the box truck to our apartment. Teri and Freja will fly in the next day. The two of us will set up the place and then I'll fly back to complete the house. After a LONG almost 12 hour drive I arrived in Mount Horeb.



After dealing with the details of moving into a new place I was ready for a break. I took a very short stroll and discovered the Grumpy Troll Brew Pub. Naturally I thought, "great name!" When I went in I found a lively crowd, a great wooden bar and lots of tables with a super high ceiling. It felt like I'd been here before. As I waited for a table I ordered a house stout. It was PERFECT, as was the food.

My waitress welcomed me to the town when I mentioned I'd just moved in. I'd worn a red t-shirt, it was one of two clean shirts I'd brought at random. As I glanced around the room I couldn't help but notice most of the patrons were also in red. Some of the kids even had painted faces. I asked the waitress what gives with all the red. Apparently I'd arrived on homecoming night.



I then walked to the game myself. I'd not been to high school game since I left school myself. It was an electric event. People were really happy to be there, and there were kids running around everywhere unsupervised. The fact that not only could I walk to games, as well as a great pub, but people felt safe enough to let their kids play really let me know I was in the right town. Especially when the learned the school team is called the Vikings!



So basically we've moved to a Nordic/Northern German town, complete with trolls!



The next day I was able to walk to Schubert's Diner. If you know me, then you know how much I LOVE old diners! The fact that most of the things I enjoy are in walking distance make this the perfect town for me.

Packing it Up

If you've never made a major move before, let me tell you, it's a real pain in the butt. I've moved many, many times over the years and the hardest part is winnowing out the things you need to keep from all the chaff. For me personally it wasn't so bad. I paired things way down in 1998 when my first marriage ended, and again when I moved from Pittsburgh in Greensburg. Teri, on the other hand, has been in this house for around 20 years and raised my step children here. Everyday I made it a point to empty, sort and pack at least one crate/area. My focus was on the garage and basement, where the bulk of stuff was stored. Teri tackled the kitchen, clothing and toys all of which required a lot of wrapping and sorting. All in all we did pretty well and it went a lot smoother than I had imagined.



Just how to get all this stuff from here to there? After looking a few options we chose to go with PODS as they had a great pricing and long term storage. I ordered two, both to be sent into storage until we move into the house. The first one I packed to the rafters, the second one awaits to be loaded as I write this. We then rented a box truck and it was packed with all the furniture, personal items and equipment needed to make the apartment comfortable.

Leaving Family Behind

The hardest part about moving so far away is all the family we're leaving behind. My parents, sister and niece, and Teri's older children, mother and sister are all in the general area. We'll miss them all terribly. It's one aspect of Freja's growing up in Madison I feel will be lacking is extended family interaction. It's going to especially hard on my parents, who've spent a lot of time with her.