Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Kathy and Sasha's Excellent Adventure

Remember the song, “You’re so good to come home to?” That’s how I feel about my new home now that Sasha, my cat, and I are finally situated in it. The song may be about a person, but today it’s about my house. I left condo land and moved into a real neighborhood with kids, noise of lawns being mowed, dogs being walked, and my grass needing mowing.

It’s wonderful to have a yard that I can do anything (legal) with without thinking about condo association rules. It’s great to be able to sing in the house without expecting commentaries from neighbors in my former condo building. Speaking of yards, there is a rectangle of dirt where no grass is growing in my new back yard where I think they buried Jimmy Hoffa.

I chronicled my move on Facebook, with postings about different phases of the project. First I started to pack. Then, after hearing bad financial projections from three moving companies, I moved a large amount of possessions into a rented storage room in order to keep moving company costs down. Then the moving company came and loaded my furniture onto their truck and took it away. Steve and Greg were diligent and personable. I was not to see my furniture again until the next day. Sarah graciously allowed me to spend that homeless night at her home. The next day, after closing on the sale of condo and purchase of house, Steve and Greg reappeared and unloaded the furniture. After that John, Laura and Ian helped me move possessions from the storage room; it was a big job. Finally, possessions were put in some kind of order, which is to say, Dede, Sarah and I unpacked a mountain of books and a lesser one of kitchen items, plus various other things. I had plenty of help. Dede and Sarah helped with putting things in preliminary order.  Daughter-in-law Sherry gave me dinner when my children weren’t having meals with me.

It was stressful for me but worth the headaches and sleepless nights. Sasha, my cat, had her own kind of stress. She spent the weekend at the veterinary clinic’s boarding facility. I brought her home and she sped to a spot under my bed. She has come out sometimes and is settling into her new home by sitting on my lap and kneading my legs like a kitten. This kind of affection is very unusual for her. I am sure she will get back to biting soon.

Here are my Facebook postings that were the news reports about how the relocation was going:

Packing up for moving can be very interesting. You find stuff you forgot you had. You also wonder how you ever could fit so much stuff into one condo. Garbage day is tomorrow and the bin is full. It's almost time to move.

Whoopee! I am now in my new house. The unpacking is beginning. Ate supper with Sarah Whitt, who brought in Thai carryout, but we hadn't yet found plates. We had found some baking dishes so we used them. Moving is such an adventure.

Tomorrow I plan to rescue my perishable food from the freezer and refrigerator of Barbara Boone. Then maybe eating can become normal again. Thanks, Barbara.

Posting from Sarah during moving: Here is a bottle of degreaser mom says is older than Dede. It's from when mom briefly sold Am Way like 50 years ago. I counted up & I think it's been moved 9 times - Preble, Allouez, Green Bay, Beloit, Fond du Lac, Seymour, Madison Prairie Rd, the condo, and finally the new house. Except it never quite made it to the new house. It now resides in my trash bin. 

Unpacking. Arranging. Happy to be in my new home. Dori Becker is here to help today. Sarah Whitt was here last night when we put away kitchen stuff, so now I can actually eat on a plate. Small things are so important.

The Whitt family moving team has been laid off. I spent a lot of time today shopping for curtains/draperies. They don't make them compatible with the colors of my bedrooms: fuschia (really!), lemon yellow, lilac. I found white curtains but not in appropriate size. Didn't want black. I think I will be making curtains. Better than repainting the rooms to match available colors of curtains.
Comment on same post:
 I considered hanging up towels. Not a good choice.
I'm considering trying the Dig & Save next. I bought a $4.00 lamp at Goodwill yesterday and didn't find a shade that is compatible with what the lamp will share the room with, and I think there is some incongruity with buying a $30 shade to go onto a $4 lamp.


My cat's response to living in a new home is to stay under the bed.