It's Renegade Weekend in Chicago, and this makes me a little sad. The first Renegade craft fair was where Adam and I rediscovered our craftiness and he picked up embroidery. It was always a kind of holiday weekend for us: we got to see all sorts of Etsy people we know mostly online (I'm looking at YOU Shawnimals, Frantic Meerkat, Mincing Mockingbird). And it's sci-Fiber Friday at SIFU Design studio....

but I'm done now just being sad. It's time to do something about all of this.

It's time to bring hip craft to Duluth. It's time to make a scene.

(Emily)

This whole getting closer to friends thing is working out quite well also. I had lunch with two old friends last week, Mollie Stapleton and Erik Ostrom. It was wonderful to see them, and Erik may have solved our car problem for us. Erik's most likely my oldest friend- I've known him since before kindergarten. In fact, I think I've known him longer than my brother! He's proposed lending us a car that he isn't using. We'd take over the insurance. I am so grateful for all the support I've gotten from my friends over the years. It's overwhelming. I hope that someday soon I'll be able to start giving back.

And the generosity of the Olson-Kaiser family cannot be understated. These are stellar human beings and friends, and I am deeply grateful for all that they have done for us. I can't find words.

I've been having significant pain problems. I ran out of pain meds earlier this week and my old rheumatologist in Chicago wouldn't give me another prescription. I've got an appointment with a new primary next Friday, and am in process of getting an appointment with a new rheumatologist, but that can't happen until the end of September. I tried as hard as I could to suck it up and deal with the pain, and lasted about 4 days. Yesterday I finally gave in and went to the ER. I got enough pain meds to last me until the appointment on Friday. Thus, I am able to think enough to be able to write this update.

We're still having problems with insurance. I can't get an answer about the appeal, and I have no idea how long this is going to take. I talked with the billing department at Essentia, and it seems that we are eligible for some financial relief. And I simply can't last.

It's funny, but the most important thing in getting our lives to feel normal was to finally get our internet working again. It's quite impossible to find work without the internet- ads aren't in the newspaper anymore. Adam's had several interviews in the last week and has applied with an organization that sounds a lot like what he was doing in Chicago (working in-home with autistic children). Something is going to come through for him soon. I'm sure of it.

I've had a few queries about piano lessons, but I know that the closer I get to the school year, the more that will pick up. Now that I can think straight, I'll be spending a significant amount of time on the phone this week making contact with various people.

The internet thing was huge. It was amazing how much of a relief it was to simply turn on my Netflix queue and watch a few episodes of Buffy. It just felt so normal, and normal is an enormous relief. I can depend on Buffy to make me feel better, which sounds utterly ridiculous, I know.

And so we are beginning. Soon, I hope I'll be able to update about craft and art and music and not doctors and boxes. But this is my life right now, and I can't get to the craft/art/music until I've gotten through the rest of this.

(Emily)

The positive spin is that we cut another expense. The Yaris is no more. We're a carless family. It was a surprise, and yet another kick we didn't really want. I had called the bank the day before to keep them up to date like they tell you to do. We're behind in some payments, as we are behind in everything. After all, this is why we're moving. After the car disappeared, we called to find out what had happened and they said that since we don't have jobs lined up in Duluth (something we're working really hard on, and it's not like we don't have prospects!), they wouldn't let us have the car any more. So my little muffin is gone. The lesson: no matter what they say, tell them what they want to hear!

In the end, this is probably for the best. The slate is wiped clean. We'll get something "trusty but rusty" in Minnesota. It does make everything much more complicated for the moment-- no more quick trips to Home Despot. This takes planning. Fortunately, we're within 3 blocks of everything we need in Duluth, so that will buy us some time.

We were also denied coverage from the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan because OF OUR TIME IN THE MILITARY. Oh for pete's sake. This is a little like being fired for taking too many smoke breaks. I've never smoked a cigarette in my life. Nor have either one of us been in the military. Obviously, we are appealing this decision. Unfortunately, this means that we continue to be without insurance. I'm having an increasingly difficult time staying upright with my extremely cut back meds. I'm doing my best.

Don't be under the impression that the government is denying this program to the military for some insidious reason. This program is supposed to be for people who have no other options. Our respected military has other options, therefore they don't need this one.

I'm deeply sentimental these days, forever tearing up over the smallest thing. I love this neighborhood, and I will miss it very much. I was looking forward to some student hugs, but it seems as if everyone is out of town. I love this street for the children who are usually everywhere - but there's no one to be found! Where did everybody go?

Still looking forward to building a life, rather than taking one apart....

(Emily)

One of the larger setbacks was that I had what appears to be a gall bladder attack while I was in St Peter. What I know is this. I'm often asked about how I feel on the pain scale. I have always reserved a "10" for gun-shot wound. I figure, if I'm not actually dying, pain can get a lot worse. Whatever happened to my midsection in St Peter felt like a 9.75. At the time, I wasn't sure I hadn't blown a gasket and was headed to an early end. It lasted an hour and I spent an uninsured evening in the emergency room.

This was a real blow to my physical health, one that I haven't exactly recovered from. I'm still a bit weak around the edges. While other crap has been hurled at us with extraordinary rapidity, I don't really want to go into it. I really don't want to dwell on the negative. Honest.

Things are turning though. Without counting any chickens before they're hatched, I can confidently say that we will be moving into our new place next week. Adam has a gig on July 30 in Grand Marais. Following that, we'll be headed to Chicago to collect our things. We're cleared to move ino the new digs on August 1.

We got the apartment above Positively 3rd Street Bakery. It's adorable, clean, large (with many closets!) and has a view of the lake. It also smells like cookies. I'm not completely sure how the piano will make it in, but I'm confident in the abilities of professionals. 

I've had a few queries about piano lessons - not too many, but I know that things will pick up on that front as we get closer to school. That's just the way that works.

We've spent some wonderful time with Adam's family up here in Grand Marais. His neice Margot is the berries. The berries are also the berries, especially in pie form. We've feasted on Lake Trout. We've slept to the lullabies of owls.

But wow am I looking forward to a place of my own.

(Emily)

Adam and I have arrived in Duluth. We had our 16th wedding anniversary some time last week. I genuinely can't remember which day it was- it was the 1st, but I don't remember if that was Thursday or Friday. We decided that since we are starting absolutely from scratch, we ought to think of this as a kind of Year 1, so we figured 2.0 year 1, and since today is the first day of us actually in Duluth actually looking for our life, I figure chapter 2.

After two+ weeks of great food and incredibly relaxing time at the Moe Compound, we are without a doubt ready to get going. It's been frustrating to wait, and though we had great family and friend time, I am glad to be here trying to get going. I'm also terrified, but I think that's kind of a given.

I'm supposed to be looking for places to scope out tomorrow right now, but I wanted to take a breather and catch y'all up. Adam has been given the heads up that downtown Duluth is having SIDEWALK DAYZ and that they're looking for buskers, so he spent the afternoon there. He'll be down earlier in the morning tomorrow and hopefully he can make a fistful of dollars.

We are housesitting for friends of friends in a lovely little spot with a beautiful garden. Here, we're supposed to take care of the garden, the hummingbird feeders (5) and the dehumidifier. We were warned that the neighbor on the right kept to himself, but he already said Hi and complemented Mrs. Parker on her cuteness. We also had a fabulous dinner with the entire Kaiser family.

So far, so good.

(Emily)

I called to confirm. I'd gotten nervous, as I hadn't heard back from The Guy. I'd been assured that The Guy didn't flake, and I shouldn't worry. So I was not worrying, but just calling to confirm and let The Guy know when we would be arriving.

Instead, I got a good hard kick in the taint. Dude couldn't pull it off, and we are out of a place to stay. In defence of Dude, I understand what happened. He had a dream, heard of an opportunity to put that into place, and jumped on it before he was really ready. Days later, he realized that what he had committed to was impossible.

I am reminded of two events in the history of Emily: It was the summer before my 2nd year of college. I rashly bought a beautiful and elegant looking 4 head vcr (I've always been a sucker for design). I brought it home and excitedly picked up an enormous television all by myself so that I could hook it up.  I carefully put the tv down, and could not move for the next three days. During those three days, I watched several beautiful movies and contemplated the rashness of my purchase. I brought it back on day 4.

I don't really want to talk about incident number 2. Let's just say it had to to with grad school, presenting a paper to a conference of sorts, me flaking, professors threatenting bodily harm. I had really good reasons for flaking. Honest. But I really was in the wrong, and so I understand how bad Dude must feel right now.

So though I understand Dude's situation, he should be feeling guilty. Our lives are now considerably more screwed than they were a week ago.

We came to northern MN early because #1 we had no money to stay in Chicago #2 to have time to look for a place. Believing ourselves to have solved #2 while by-passing #1, we've been lounging about for a week.

Now, of course, I'm pretty much hyperventilating and looking depressed no matter how hard I try to hide it.

There is one upside to this. Now I'm going to be able to solve my piano studio problem. We'll find a place to live where I can teach. This will save lots o dough and will be a much better situation.

Also our god-like friend Tim Kaiser and his angelic wife Caroline Olson remain on the case. They've found us a house-sitting gig for a week starting next Wednesday, again, buying us some time to look for a place. It will delay our actual move plans for a week (at least), which is really totally fine.

Still hyperventilating though.

Emily.

Perhaps I haven't mentioned that my day job is as a piano teacher. I'm aching to teach. It's funny that last year at this time I was exasperated with my students and families in a huge way - that exasperation held on through the holidays. I was seriously burned out. Now that all of those faces have been taken away, I miss them more than I can say, and I'm dying to get back to the piano, and dying to try to fill a roster so that I can have children in my life again.

I've been told by several people who ought to know that I can fill that roster almost instantly within a week of putting out my shingle. Now how exactly do I put out that shingle? I have no permanent address, so I can't teach out of my home. I need to find a studio space in order to fill it.

Today I made contact with Sam Black at the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, an old friend and a fine musician. Like so many others I've come in contact with while considering this move, he's ready and willing to help. He's running down a list of teachers in the area that I should contact and has given me several ideas for places to call. How great is that?

Emily.

As it is though, we met with the guy and his family who are putting us up for the summer. They have a spectacular grand old Victorian beauty who's falling apart at the seams. Richard's words: "If it weren't falling apart, we couldn't be living in it." The place is like something from some old romantic novel. You can hardly see the house from the street, and all of the grounds are "overgrown", lush, with pockets of hidden flowers. There's even a real Japanese tea house in a ravine. It seems like the grounds go on forever, and that you couldn't possibly be in the middle of Duluth.

We decided that, given permission, we'll live in the Airstream. We don't want to take up their family space. The good news is, though, that I can have a studio in the basement of the house. It's dry, not too dirty, has electricity and hot running water. Really, all I could need. The basement is also divided into all of these little hobbit rooms. Very cool.

The family wants to start a summer artist in residence program. We're happy as all get out to be the first. Since this whole thing is a fantasy I've always wanted to create myself, I'm thrilled to be able to be a part of it at all. We briefly discussed the idea of a craft show - they seem receptive. There will be lots of work ahead on that.

In the meantime, we are staying with the family Moe. My back more or less held out for the drive. Adam didn't get too sick. We made it to this stage. Unfortunately, I left my fabric stash back at the house so my brilliant plan of working fascinators has gone by the wayside. I could still block them though....

Emily.

I've taught my last piano lesson.

Adam's had his last shift with his kid.

Originally, we thought we were leaving tonight, but it turned out to be unrealistic.

The plan is now to leave tomorrow. Cross your fingers.

Adam's still sick as a dog, and my back is so bad I have difficulty standing up.

Let the drumroll begin: will we make it out of Chicago?

-Emily.

Now, though, that's definitely changed. We are about to start a whole new chapter in the life of the family Moe.

We're moving out of the city, Chicago, back home to Duluth. Tomorrow.

Ok, so technically neither of us has ever lived in Duluth, but Adam's from just two hours north (in the world of Minnesota, this is not a long distance) and I'm from the southern part of the state. Duluth seems like a good central sort of spot. Close enough to Grand Marais, Adam's hometown, while not actually being it. Close enough to the Twin Cities while not actually being them. Duluth is also beautiful. Really, it is. The arts scene is vibrant, and since we used to be quite active in that scene, we already have contacts. It's going to be a good thing for us. Chicago's not been going well for a while, and we need a do-over.

Through this, there are other exciting things happening to Moe Sew Co. I recently got a Kickstarter project funded to help me buy my own set of blocks, necesssary as I won't be able to use my beloved teacher's anymore, and to get myself in to the One of a Kind Show. As it happens, I officially got into said show last week. Both of these things are big big deals. I've been humbled by the donations I've received through the Kickstarter project, and when I found out I actually did get into the show, I was rather struck down with a mix of excitement and terror, heavy on the terror side.

Making all of this still more interesting, it would seem as if we'll be living in an airstream for the rest of the summer. A friend of our very good friend Tim Kaiser, a complete stranger to us, has volunteered to let us stay first in his house for a month, then for the rest of the summer in his airstream. And here's the awesome part: his rent is that we have to put on a show. What kind of show is up to us. We're not sure of the details yet. We're meeting with him on Sunday to work it out.

I am a little worried: how am I going to have access to my millinery stuff, including my fancy new hat blocks, in an airstream.....  I'll keep you aprised. I'm sure a solution is going to come up. Adam's started calling Duluth "awesome town". I'm sure Awesome Town will find me a solution.

One of our big goals is to bring DIY craft to Duluth. There's no "scene" there yet. It's still stuck a bit with granny knitters, as far as our information goes. One of the things I mean to do with this blog is to document our efforts to make this happen.

The other is to document the transition in our lives, the creation of an independent Moe Sew Co Millinery division, and the preparation for the One of a Kind Show.

I'm being lazy here, not putting in proper links and the like. I really only wanted to write this as a kind of thesis statement. It may also have to do with the fact that my back freaked out and won't let me stand up. I've countered with a vicodin and some valium. I may be a bit chattier than usual!

Our internet connection is going to be a bit spotty for the next couple of weeks as we're going to stay on the Moe family compound until after the 4th, but I will do my best to keep our dear readers in the loop.

Wish us luck! We're going to need it!

-Emily.