As painless as possible, please.

I don't know about you, but I have a lot of keys. So many, in fact, that I really have two key chains, and I use keys on both all the time, so I have to lug them around with me all the time. (And people wonder what women keep in their purses? I'm telling you, it's the keys that make mine so dratfully heavy. Although I'm sure having about $16.73 in change floating around on the bottom of it is not helping my cause. Someday, some chiropractor will love me when I get old and need to make regular visits.) It was time to say goodbye to some of those keys, though, and now there are three fewer.

Goodbye, Uptown. It's true: those living room walls are orange. Yes, I did willingly choose that color. (Trust me: it was my version of sunshine during our 9 months of winter. K's and my bedrooms were also crazy colors, though not as crazy as orange.) And no, we did not have to paint them back because new crazy uptown people like crazy colors. Yay for crazy uptown people! (Good luck new crazy uptown people, especially with those crazy girls living above you who do not believe a) they've actually graduated from college, b) in decent bedtimes, c) in bar closings (just bring the party home with you!), d) in taking high heels off at the door, or e) in area rugs to cover those wood floors!)

And then I gained the same three keys back.

Hello, St. Paul. (Yes, that is the skyline way out there.)

So it's only been two and a half days. Give it some time, and this place'll look like a real home soon. Also: we're on the top floor. Yay!

In some respects, I don't know if it's super convenient that I just moved a few days ago, or if it's been really annoying. I refer to the fact that everything's expiring. Driver's license, passport, all sorts of random stuff - stuff which needs to be mailed to me, basically, and stuff that corresponds with an address - preferably my new one. Even two of my insr policies? Premiums due right about now, and of course everything (read: auto policy) needs to be recalculated to the new addy. So the driver's license part was nice - kill two birds with one stone (renewal AND change of address at one time: savings, $11.50. Take that, greedy MN Legislature and DVS! Plus, I hate waiting in line, so only once is better, too). But everything else just strikes me as annoying since I have so many other things to do (pack, move, unpack, let every single person I've ever met in my entire life and all companies I've ever even window shopped know that I've moved and have a new address). And as for the let everyone and all companies know about my moving? Whatever did we do before the internet and self-service?

Also? Best moving decision EVER: Hire movers. It's worth every single penny. Especially when your ginormously heavy leather couch doesn't fit on the elevator and they have to haul it up the stairs to the third floor. Total time to move all my clothes and other possessions from point A to point B? 2 hours, 15 minutes. Sanity, friends who still like you and no back strain? Priceless.

I have now realized that by living closer, I can sleep in an extra 6 minutes, at least. 6 minutes might not sound like much, but at 4:48 a.m., trust me: it's a LOT.

In case you were wondering the final tally? Yeah, clothes- and shoes-boxes? Pretty much equal to the everything-else boxes.