MOVE TO THE NEW HOUSE
We have moved twice in the last couple of weeks; once to the new house and now to the condo for our winter sojourn. It has been hectic as Mrs. T relates below. Before that story, we would like to give a few thanks to some of you who sent us news with your holiday greetings.
Thanks to SSD with pictures of the girls – they are certainly growing up nicely.
To JB & PB – you have certainly collected frequent flyer miles this year.
And to W-Jl and LL – thanks for the letter from J; we hope she keeps writing. We really liked the pictures.
Rebecca gives an overview of the move:
Well it is happened. We are finally in our new house. But it was not easy!! Less than a week before Christmas we finally got moving. The house was mostly done. The cistern was still unconnected to the downspouts but we did have water. The first time the moving truck went down and we unpacked all the boxes (About 160) but who is counting. Dan sent me ahead of the truck down the logging road in my fourteen year old Ford Taurus. I jounced along and the moving truck jounced after me. The truck driver was not pleased. Dan drove down the driveway in his Kia. Exactly what the reason I was the one who went down the logging road was I don't exactly remember – something like – "You have more experience, Dear."
After unloading the truck the driver was disinclined to go back up the logging road so it was decided that I would drive up the driveway in front of the truck to show him how to do it. When I say it was decided, I hope no one has the mistaken impression that I had much input. Well I drove slowly along our pathetic excuse for a driveway weaving around the more prominent pot holes until I got to the steep hill at the end. There I floored it and flew up the hill spraying gravel, sticks and heaven knows what until I soared over the top of the hill and rolled to a stop. The moving truck rambled behind me lurching from side to side trying to avoid the potholes I ducked until it got to the bottom of the hill. There the driver shifted into fourth gear and the truck started crawling up the hill. The truck was about a third of the way up the hill when it could go no further. (No Guts, No Glory!)
The truck reversed and rolled slowly back to the bottom of the hill. This time the driver revved his engine and surged forward and he made it up the first half of the hill before gravity won again. The driver tried once more, and this time I actually thought he was going to make it. Alas, when it was two thirds of the way up the hill the truck hit a slippery spot and began to slide inexorably back down.
The driver got out of the truck and started slowly climbing the hill towards me giving me a very dirty look. We got the log skidder to pull the truck out andhe drove away without speaking to us. What to do? Was the moving company going to fink out on us? How would we get our furniture to the house?
After some discussion it was decided that the truck would move our furniture a couple of days later as long as the log skidder was there to pull them out. I would drive ahead to make sure they knew the way. And to show the moving guys where to put the furniture. My input in this decision was the same amount as usual.
We went down the logging road with no more problems than usual. The moving guys unloaded and arranged the furniture quickly and efficiently. The truck driver decided to go back up the logging road to get out. And of course he got stuck. I drove up the driveway to find the log skidder. I found a logging truck but he refused to help. At least he did not mean to help. What he did was walk back down the logging road and ask the moving truck driver what the heck he thought he was doing. The moving truck driver was so embarrassed that he backed down the logging road and drove right up the driveway on the first try. (!)
I stood looking in despair at about 115 boxes and thirty plastic tubs. (About forty-five boxes and twenty tubs went directly to the storage shed.) In all fairness I must state that Dan instructed me specifically not to overdo it trying to unpack, He had to stay in
"Just take it easy," Dan said, "We can unpack after we get back from the condo."
Well that idea certainly had little appeal to me! So I paid as much attention to him as I often do (none whatsoever).
For sixteen hours straight I manically unpacked boxes. The kitchen was almost completely done, the bath mostly done. After five hours of exhausted sleep I got up and started again. I had a good start on my office. When I decided I could not face another box I drove down to Wal-Mart and bought an artificial Christmas tree that already had lights and returned to try to put it together. I was sitting on the floor struggling with it when Dan drove up.
"I told you not to do too much," Dan said.
GRRRR!!
Dan immediately began reorganizing the kitchen where I had just unpacked it. The disgusting thing is he improved it quite a bit. Of course when you are unpacking it is hard to develop an overall plan. And not all of the items of one sort were in the same box. It seems as if we will have more storage space in the new house than we had in our old kitchen.
A few new pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9151458@N07/sets/72157603583867086/
(Most of our best art work will not be delivered to the new house until we return in April. Even though they have crated it and padded it, the movers are reluctant to take it over the road in its current condition. - dt)
The next day we bought some new waste baskets and a paper towel holder and Christmas was upon us. On December 27 we flew to our condo in sunny
And Happy New Year to all. May 2008 bring you good fortune.
Dan and Rebecca
http://casa-de-terrible.blogspot.com/index.html
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