First I will tell you what the plan was. The plan was that we would rent a little UHaul trailer and attach it to the back of Paul’s car. We would fill it with all the twins’ stuff for their (unfurnished) college apartments. Except: Elizabeth would put her Most Immediate things (mattress, bedding, toiletries) in MY car, and she and I would take advantage of my jobless state to drive back to college a day EARLY, because all three of her last-year roommates graduated, and they were the ones who’d brought all the major furniture (couch, recliner, dining room table/chairs, etc.), and her new roommates are all second-years who have no furniture. She and I would spend our extra day shopping at Goodwill and the like, and when Paul and Edward arrived the next day with the trailer, we’d have Paul use the trailer to go pick up all the big stuff.

Here is what actually happened: Paul broke his wrist four days before the plan, and could not drive, and in fact had surgery scheduled for the day Elizabeth and I were going to leave.

Also, in case this has not yet occurred to you: it ALSO meant Paul was not able to CARRY THINGS. And Edward was SIMILARLY unable to carry things, because of recent intestinal surgery. So that left just Elizabeth and me to carry things: WE had to load the trailer/car (usually Paul’s job), unload the trailer/car (usually we assist but Paul and Edward handle the heavy stuff), and pick up and move any big furniture we bought. THIS WAS NOT THE PLAN.

Various new plans were suggested. Elizabeth could drive one of the two cars! …Oh, but then I would have two cars to bring home. William could drive one of the two cars! Sure, but that’s a big ask, and also he’s starting his new job on Monday, and also we need him to drive Paul to the hospital for surgery.

Here was my suggestion: I drive Paul’s car with the trailer and with both twins; we take as much stuff as we can in the car/trailer and bring the rest later; Elizabeth and I still go shopping and somehow it all works out, even though I have never driven with a trailer and hate the whole idea of it; I will just do each thing, one step at a time, starting with picking up the trailer and ending with dropping off the trailer, and hope each step goes well with no crisis, against all odds. This is the plan we went with.

And it did go well and with no crisis. There was ONE occasion when I got stuck in a parking lot where I had to back out. I don’t know if you have ever tried to back up with a trailer. The girl at UHaul told me just not to do it, but here I was, having to do it. She’d said that if I HAD to do it, to be lined up as straight as possible and then back up very very slowly so the trailer wouldn’t turn. So that’s what I did, and the trailer immediately turned—and in the opposite direction I’d wanted it to go, if it did have to turn. After trying various things (panicking, freaking out, snapping at anyone in the car who was trying to help), I thought “FINE. If it wants to go that way, FINE: I will change my plans and let it go that way!!” And immediately it straightened out, and then it turned the way I’d wanted it to go. So. Trailers are OPPOSITE, is what trailers are: I was picturing a trailer attached to the car, but the trailer is attached to a HITCH that is attached to the car, so the HITCH goes the way you want the TRAILER to go, and then the TRAILER goes the way the HITCH wants it to go. Anyway, after that I NEVER pulled in ANYWHERE if I couldn’t point the nose of the car toward the way out. I pulled through so I took up two nose-to-nose spaces, or if that wasn’t available I parked in a C-shape and took up three parking spaces, but I did it in the way-back of parking lots, and it was fine. I returned the trailer undamaged, and now I have that skill sort of added to my skill-set: I would not WANT to do it again, but I COULD.