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Today will be as close as I ever get to living out that retiree dream of lounging around eating bonbons. It's something of a guilty pleasure, because Steve is still working his butt off at the office, supervising the loading of trucks, maintaining records and schedules as tight as only he can make them as the office itself is dismantled and returned to its owner, Uncle Sam. Today through Friday are his last four days in the office. He will work from home two more weeks, which should be a relatively easy time of decompression until June 12, when he will be free. I'm positive that as harried and oppressed as he feels now, he won't know what hit him come Monday, June 15. But it will only be a short period of dislocation for him: on June 18 the truck comes to pack us out, and on the 19th, after a 10 AM closing, we will be gone.We worked a lot this "holiday" weekend, packing into boxes most of what we can do without until we are in the North Carolina rental. The photo above shows you what the dining room currently looks like. (The basement looks the same.) Note the fake fruit in its fancy bowl on the table, put there for showing the house. Oops! Guess I overlooked a small detail....
Cleaning the garage was a truly gargantuan task which Steve nevertheless completed in two days. In the process we filled two trash bins and a recycle bin, and are working on a second recycle bin. Some things that were just too good to throw away found good homes via the miracle Freecycle; whatever else we couldn't give away will end up, alas, in the landfill.
There is still more packing to do, but it will create more trash, for which there is simply no room until what's currently gathered is taken away Friday.
The last-minute stuff is the hardest to keep track of. What will we need after all the boxes and furniture are gone and we want to clean the place up one last time? A vacuum cleaner. A duster. Some rags. Toilet cleaner. All this will take up space in the cars, along with all the other things not going on the truck: the cats, their food, water, and litterbox, the fish, the house plants.....
But I'll think of that tomorrow. Today is a day of rest.
12 comments:
Happy to hear that you are taking a break. Moving is on the top ten list for stress - so rest and break when you can.
One "thing" I pack when moving is a paperbag that holds two plates, two pieces of silverware, two mug cups, coffeemaker (which can double for tea or instant coffee in a pinch)- kitty bowls and initial food supply. Depending on time of move-in etc. these simple pieces can save you having to rummage through boxes and being ready for a snack or take-out... or if ambitious, for a breakfast the next day after a day of unloading and unpacking. Also, do not forget a roll of toilet paper! and paper towels.
Are you taking two cars? or one? If one, keep paper bag carryon limited to necessities only.
My experience with moving kitties is that they adjust better when the first thing they find is a litter box and food dishes - even if they have to wait in a closed area while the moving takes place. My kitties didn't like moving and after a long ride preferred a sense of home.
Good day for Ella - thank you! It is chilly here and I've had little sleep because of the change in weather (again).
Looks like us at this exact same time last year! We opted to have the moving company pack up for us and although they had two days blocked out to do the job, it only took them one day to pack our entire house--and they even arrived late and took a long lunch break. Once the stuff arrived up here at Lac Le Jeune, it took us SIX WEEKS to unpack it! A year later, we're still trying to find some of the stuff we unpacked and stashed in new locations here in the house. I'm excited for you.
Linda, I've been thinking about that matter of plates and forks and knives--just for the sake of having the entire kitchen packed up ahead of time we'll probably do paper plates and plastic cutlery--and a lot of carry-out!--that last week.
We've also discovered that kitties' priorities are food and a box. We do have two cars, one a (smallish) SUV, so most of the last minute stuff, plus the cats, will travel in it. The cats will spend their last night in Virginia alone in the house after the movers have emptied it (a conveying couch and carpet will be familiar to them) so we can avoid having them in the motel with us that night. Early AM the day of settlement, we'll pick them up here, let them wait in the car while we're at the lawyer's office (hopefully it won't be a scorching day), and then take off.
Jenny, it was very tempting for us to let the movers do all the packing, too, but we're scrimping as much as possible, and I guess we really are used to the labor. Just seems natural for us to do most of it ourselves (we're paying them to pack the valuable, delicate antiques). Odd how every day is still the standard 24 hours, but this event seems to be barreling down in us. As for unpacking, since we'll be living in a rental for at least 6 months, we probably won't be doing a lot of that until early next year. And we still have an entire 30' x 15' storage unit to truck down from Delaware!!!
I agree about the cutlery--I think it was at least 2 weeks before we came across the box that held our cutlery!
Hi Ralph,
Exciting, isn't it? The beginning of a new adventure. And the time spent in the rental will give you both time to adjust to your new surroundings and time to rest after all the hard work you've done. I personally love moving and re-nesting - weird, huh? I can't wait to see you new home.
Regards - Linda in Chapel Hill
Hi Ralph,
Here is a consideration for the kitties on closing day. If you have a vet nearby to either your home or closing location - you could board them for the overnight and pickup at noon. Sense that if you have a regular vet, they would accommodate you - perhaps even for just the few hours you will be at the closing.
My goodness, you deserve the rest after all this. I think you are so right about Steve on June 15th. A new stage of life for him is not to be undertaken lightly. This is such a great way to share this event for us who plan the same....and music too!
Maybe you can learn from our mistakes, Cuidado! It's a thing I'm glad I haven't had to do many times, I'll tell you that.
Linda CH--I'm hoping I'll be able to out up pictures of the new place when it's done. The whole internet issue is a hard one--nobody seems to service the little Edenton outskirt we'll be renting in, and if there's no wireless connection there I don't know what I'll do. The place we're building has all services--expensive but its's there--but for the 6-8 month rental phase we won't know till we get there.
You need to find that song "Hit the Road Jack" as every time people that move play it, they become inspired. Looks like time is moving relatively fast for your guys. I think you will miss Ole D.C. and want back, at least to visit. I try to get back there once a year.
I have that song, Z&M. Thanks for the idea. I'll play it just before I got dark and the move takes place.
I hope we can get up here to visit old friends--but lots of them are leaving, too, so we'll see. Probably go to Delaware, actually, more than DC.
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