Every year around Halloween I reiterate my pledge: “I will not be caught dead or alive near a shopping mall until after the New Year.” Most years I succeed at keeping the pledge, but this year … not so much. Today I found myself circling the absolutely-packed-crammed-overflowing-demolition-derby parking lot at the Park Place Mall in Tucson, two days before Christmas. How did this happen?

The funny thing is that while I was driving around in the lot, I kept finding myself examining the upcoming turns and exits as if I had the Airstream behind me. I had to remind myself that we were unhitched and that I could make the 90-degree turns without a problem.

When we first came back to Tucson we all agreed that we were here for one purpose: to turn our project house into a home so that we could come back to it later and settle in just by unlocking the door. A lofty goal, considering the state of things inside the house and the fact that we no longer own furniture.

Yesterday we gained new appreciation for the size of the hole we’ve dug into. In order to get out of town on schedule, we need to have everything done by March 1 or so. That means all the cabinetry needs to be installed in February. With a 5-6 week delay from time of order to delivery, that means we have to place our kitchen and bathroom cabinet order by this weekend. That doesn’t leave much time for careful consideration of the new kitchen plan, or anything else.

So we’re diving in as quickly as possible. While others are madly shopping for stocking stuffers and Christmas turkeys, we’re pricing out appliances and choosing cabinet fronts. This year Santa will come down our chimney hauling a heavy-duty vinyl contractor bag full of slate sealant, work gloves, a Shop Vac, and perhaps a few faucets. We’ve asked him for a dishwasher, a gas stove, refrigerator, and a washer-dryer combination, but more likely those things won’t fit in the sleigh and we’ll get them at the post-Christmas sales instead.

Given the circumstances, I think it’s OK that I failed in my anti-mall pledge this year. Our pre-holiday rush was almost exclusively the result of needing to get things done for the house as soon as possible. That forced us into crowded stores at the worst possible time of year. For example, today I tested the matte slate sealant to see if we like it (otherwise we’ll try the high gloss sealant). We need to make that decision and buy a large quantity of the sealant soon in order to be ready for the painting crew who are arriving next week. So I was at the big box hardware store looking for supplies while a thousand other people were in there fighting over the last Duraflame logs. And there are a dozen other household project things to do this week.

Meanwhile, the Airstream has been our rock. It sit stolidly in the carport, peeking out at the curious neighbors, giving us sanctuary when the house or the outside world becomes too overwhelming. We like to go in the house and work on it, but the Airstream is still home.

Even when we are moved into the house later, I can see how it will serve as a psychological getaway in the driveway. It’s always private and serene in there, like a kid’s clubhouse. Since we’ve got a full hookup in the carport, it lacks for nothing. We plan to leave it plugged in and “live” year round, with the fridge stocked with snacks and drinks, and the beds ready for a midday nap. I’m looking forward to that.