Hiring movers: $3,121. Getting to Charleston in one piece: Priceless.

First things first: The car’s fixed. The phone’s replaced. So, for at least this moment, all my electronics are functioning as intended. Yay!

Paul and I got the estimate today from the moving company that’ll be accompanying us on our journey to South Carolina.

The damage: $3,121.05. Paul’s moving allowance: $2,000.

The estimate is based on the weight of what we own, as well as packing, unpacking and insuring breakables such as my china and crystal. But the moving company (which, by the way, is a national chain and comes highly recommended) estimates our worldly belongings – well, the belongings we’re choosing to move – at 4,500 pounds.

We own a lot of heavy stuff! Half of that weight likely is the 50-inch, rear-projection TV we got over the weekend when Paul’s parents bought a Sony Bravia. A quarter is the entertainment center that’s no longer in use because of said TV but that I love too much to sell. And the other quarter is our king-sized, decorative iron bed. I know it’s heavy because of a recent incident involving a cat, a leash and a storm door. Really.

Despite the potential $1,200 out of pocket, there’s another positive aspect to hiring movers: They help unpack. This is mucho important because it likely will save me the surprise I got last year: finding several boxes of hoodies and whatnot four years after we moved.

And as soon as we unpack, the parties begin. (Yay!) Johanna’s booking a trip – hopefully for September? – using frequent flier miles. Mattie asked me last night when it would be okay to visit. (“You weren’t thinking I was going to not visit you, were you? I promised,” he told me.) And Mom and Dad are coming in October in what normally would’ve been our week in Destin.

Presumably at some point I’ll get a job. I was in this situation after Paul and I got married – not rushing to find a job – and it only took about six weeks for me to get really bored and start working at a bookstore until I found an editing gig.

Also on the right-after-we-move sched: Paul and the other new faculty (are they considered knobs?) will be taking a day trip to Fort Jackson to be fitted for uniforms. Unfortunately, much to my disappointment, faculty no longer get to wear “canoe hats.” Now they get berets. Imagine Paul in a beret. Yeah, that’s going to be fun.