We're now in that real-estate limbo between having accepted an offer and signing the final papers. There will be a whole slew of inspections over the next several days, which could cost us varying amounts of money . . . but after that, presuming everything goes well (and even if it doesn't, it's unlikely to go so badly that everything falls through), all we do is wait.

And finish emptying the house. (That could take a while; I'm learning that we have computers in places where I didn't know we had places.) We went down today to do just that, and to do a bit of caulking.

I was a bit worried going down because I sometimes get very nostalgic going back, and now that a sale is likely, the A2 chapter of our lives really is coming to a close. But as it turns out, I didn't feel bad at all. (I did suffer severe pangs over the swimming pool issue, I must admit, but they passed.) No doubt that life in Ann Arbor was very pleasant and I loved it dearly. But it was a bit more of an urban experience than life is in the Lansing area. Life here, too, is very pleasant, especially in the summer. There are not as many urban amenities but there are high-quality parks all over the place . . . and the relative lack of traffic, along with our proximity to everything we need, is inestimably relaxing. So although I love it there, I'm not sorry we've left. As Rob said yesterday, we can always visit. (I probably wouldn't go to Zingerman's, Rob; I'd go to Morgan and York for cheese, that's what I'd do - especially during the Tour de France, when they feature cheeses of the regions the peloton is cycling through that day or days . . . )

It's nice to feel complete closure drawing near. I think somehow I'd completely forgotten that we might actually sell the house, so it almost feels like magic. And I can expect to feel better still as closing draws closer . . . yay. I'm ready to have a tailwind for a while . . .