Dear Roger: The Monkey is Sideways

The move is finally over! We are in the new apartment and its vastly different than the old apartment. Even though its on the second floor and you would think it would be hotter, its actually cooler, and its damn sure quieter. The only down side is the neighbors below us are smokers, and even though they are only supposed to smoke outside, its pretty obvious by the smell in the master bedroom that they smoke in their house. Im hoping that gets handled pretty quick because with all the new carpet, paint, fixtures and such that we have, their nasty cigarette smoke will make it stink in no time at all.
The move was what I expected. The only help we had was #6 son, everybody else either strangely didn't get texts or just didn't show up, so we had no truck, and the only dolly available had a flat tire, so it was trudging back and forth across the parking lot and up a flight of 20 stairs in the two hottest days we have had all summer with our stuff. I did fine until the last day when I went to pick up one of the last things we were moving and I missed the bottom step at the old apartment and dislocated my bad knee.
I've dislocated that knee a few times, it always sucks, it always makes me cuss in unique and colorful ways and it usually freaks out Chance when it happens. There is no point in going to a doctor about it, I know how to fix it myself just like I know how to fix my own shoulders, hips and fingers when they pop out. I got it back in and then hobbled to the new apartment found my knee brace, wrapped it up so it wouldn't slip right back out, and went back to doing what needed to be done.
The kids handled the move pretty well. Sticky turned 12 in the middle of it and I got him an X-Box 360 with the Kinect thingy, so we set it up with his games and they played that and stayed out of the way through most of it. My eldest son is still irritated that he didn't get the Master bedroom and the private bathroom, but I told him its my and Stevie's turn to have the bigger room.
The dog does not seem to like the second floor experience much, he gets pretty excited and runs amuck like hes lost his mind when hes loose and I think that is a sign he needs exercise as much as anything else, but hopefully he will adjust soon.
We are getting all the redecorating done as quickly as possible and settled in so that when school starts back in a month, everyone will be ready to go and comfortable. I need to get back to writing in the worst way. I have had a story idea cooking for quite a while, but with everything in disarray, its hard to get my mojo working on it. I haven't hardly done any promotion on any of my other books while the move has been going on, and dealing with all the transition but now that we are done, I have to get back on it and get things rolling again.
I've decided I need some new art for the living room, so I'm going to be looking for just the right piece until I find it. Its not really something I can just walk over to a store and buy, it has to be something that strikes me, so I guess Ill have to spend some time out and about looking for just the right thing to set off our new place.
The move was an adventure and I hope to not have to do it again anytime soon because somehow our 7 bags has become a whole bunch more and its all HEAVY!