Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!

That would be the sound my brain is making right now, as it attempts to wrap itself around the inevitability of the busyness that abounds. We've got an impromptu condo-searching trip to Chicago planned for this weekend, which means I have to pack tonight... but we also have two realtors and possibly a mover (? I can't remember) coming by on Tuesday, Wednesday and possibly Thursday next week. Which means I also need to clean the house at the same time I'm packing, because I obviously can't clean it this weekend, and I won't have time on Tuesday before the realtor shows up. Fortunately, the house doesn't need to be immaculate at this point -- we're not actually showing it to people yet -- but it still needs to be presentable. I'd hate for a realtor to go into my closet and see the dozens of shoes thrown haphazardly on the floor, or to see all the junk mail that has piled up on my kitchen counter...

Our awesome Chicago realtor has some places lined up for us to see on Saturday. (By the way, if anyone is in the market for a place in Chicago, I HAVE to refer you to our realtor. She's like a Chicago Real Estate Superhero... she tromps through foot-high snowdrifts in boots with four-inch stiletto heels and maneuvers her SUV through the streets like an Indy driver... and then she double-parks and doesn't care who sees. She also finds EXACTLY the kinds of things you're looking for, so you don't waste any time seeing places you'd never think of buying. Oh, and I think she's a triathlete or something... because even though she's shorter than I am, I wouldn't want to make her mad if I met her in a dark alley...)

So tonight we're ordering pizza, throwing some stuff into suitcases, Windexing the bathroom mirrors and vacuuming the house. I should probably also throw out the junk mail and try to organize my shoes. And then some time between trying to remember to pack dental floss and showing my ID at the airport check-in counter, I have to sleep, make oatmeal and work for a few hours. But, if I emerge with my sanity intact, I shall be rewarded with Chicago rush-hour traffic on the way to the hotel... wait... that doesn't sound like a reward. Okay, if I survive THAT with my sanity intact, I shall be rewarded with Starbucks coffee in the shop next door to the hotel. Yeah, that sounds much more rewarding... :)

And can somebody tell me why I'm still writing when I have so much to do?? :)