The first Wednesday of every month, Fry's Food Store gives a 10% discount if you're of a certain age. So before heading up to Paulden for the last trip before the final move, I hit Fry's. I thought it would be smart to have some food in the fridge when Frank arrives on Sunday. And 10% is worth the stop. I also loaded the Explorer with all the stuff from my sister's I wouldn't need for the last few days.
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| Hello from Paulden, AZ |
I called the trash service and got that set up. The container will be delivered tomorrow. They charge $20 a month and I have to put the can across the street on Wednesday. At least they come down our street - but only on one side. That's one side better than the mailman.
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| My first bit of decorating - kitchen mat |
We unloaded the car, vacuumed the carpet and headed for Alfonso's with promises we'd start watching our calories tomorrow. We feasted on guacamole, chips and tacos before heading back to Sun City. One more note about Alfonso's. You know how when you order guac and chips you usually get a little cup of salty guacamole and it's never enough for all the chips. At Alfonso's you get one of those big Styrofoam containers full of chips, smothered in guac and topped with a heap of cheese. All for $3.50
So that was yesterday. Last night I went to Home Depot to get some blinds. The house has white metal mini blinds throughout. I trashed all the curtain toppers and washed the blinds in the kitchen and bedrooms. I can live with those for now. But the living room and dining room blinds were bent and...well...ugly. I thought wide wood blinds would do until I could "see" some other look. AND I figured the faux wood in oak would be the least expensive way to go. Trouble is they only carry white. You have to order oak color and they cost more to order the phony wood than to buy real oak blinds. Go figure. So I'll have real oak blinds to go with my phony oak entertainment center and cupboards. LOL
Eeeekkk! Getting close to moving - I knew Frank had the truck today and would be heading out this afternoon. Then he called. Crash went the euphoric mood. He couldn't get everything in the truck. Plan B. He rented a trailer to pull behind the truck which meant leaving the car behind. I didn't ask how much the trailer set us back. He has a one way ticket from a canceled trip to use so he planned to fly back to MN and drive the car out here. But when we started thinking about it, a second trip would cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $150 for two nights on the road. I decided if I had enough mileage to fly out then I'd go and drive the car, following him in the truck. Nope. So then I tried to find a flight there for under $150 leaving tonight or tomorrow. Nope. Plan C. A friend offered to drive the car out and stay until next Thursday when for some reason the one way tickets dropped from $600 to $130. So it's a breakeven plan for us, gets all the stuff here and Frank has company on the trip. Thank you, Bruce!
Oh wait, another call from Frank. He still couldn't fit in all of our stuff. What? Groan. He's leaving behind a tall, black bookcase (my bookcase) and a hutch thing that has shelves and drawers and is lighted with a fold out desk. Double groan. He reminded me I tried to sell it at one time. Yeah, but that was that house and this house has a spot for it. Oh well...it's only stuff - of which we have too much.
Now the trick is to make the trip so that he arrives in Paulden in time to find a bar with the Super Bowl game, a burger and a beer. Fingers crossed!
Hi Brenda,
ReplyDeleteWow. you are so brave. I wouldn't go within fifty feet of those cows.
Cheers
Margaret
With each post I read, I get more into your adventure. Please don't stop sharing. What brave souls you are. I keep asking myself, could I shrug and say, "Oh, well, it's only stuff." I don't think I'm as good a person as you. I think I'd sulk. LOL
ReplyDeleteI did sulk, Vonnie, but only for about 15 minutes. Nothing I can do now. If I'd been there, my choice on what to leave would have been different. Arghh!
DeleteWe got an international removal company to bring our stuff. They said they would deliver to the door anywhere. I told them we lived down a dirt track. No problem. They turned up in a huge articulated lorry which couldn't possibly negotiate the track The driver shrugged, said we'd have to hire a pick-up and abandoned all our furniture at the side of the road. Then it started to rain. Fortunately a kind neighbour rescued us. I sat in the rain with the furniture, feeling like a refugee, while he and my husband ferried the stuff bit by bit to the house. Months later when all the work was done and we finally unpacked everything, we found at least one boxful was missing anyway. So maybe it's better to bring the stuff yourself. At least you choose what you sacrifice!
ReplyDeleteYou're doing OK, kid.
Oh, Jenny, that sounds awful. We have used professional movers in the past. They damaged stuff. What I discovered got fixed but some stuff (like an antique clock) I didn't discover until months later and too late to make a claim. The cost was also very high and too much for this time around.
DeleteLove the picture of the Longhorn's! And would love a $3.50 guac and chips please. ;^) Sorry to hear about all the trouble Frank has had and then you not able to be there. Glad it's all figured out now and he's on the road. I'm with Vonnie, I don't think I could let 'stuff' go that easily. And Jenny, so sorry to hear about your awful move. Brenda, it will all be worth it in the end. You're a better woman than I though - I would have to do all the cleaning, packing and loading of the truck because I'm that controlling. It's so bad, I'm the only one who can bag my groceries. LOL Can't wait to read more!
ReplyDeleteHi Jody, I've been pretty uptight thinking about Frank packing things without me but I had a lot of it packed before we did the temporary apartment. This arrangement seemed like a good idea at the time. Thought I'd get more writing done. Ha. And as far as the grocery bagging - they have baggers here in AZ and they practically fight you to do it. Weird!
DeleteYou know we're all on pins and needles until you move in, right? What a saga. And the mailman - I guess that's rural living for you. Good luck and hang in there.
ReplyDeleteHi Alison. Thanks!
DeleteI've moved so many times in my married life that this is like reading MY own story, Brenda. One move in '88 left a handmade shelf hubby had made for my first actual Mother's Day in '85. I couldn't sell that shelf. He asked how much and I told him I couldn't put a price on love lol I gifted it to our friends instead. He's promised to duplicate that shelf for me this year. I don't know where I'll put it but if I can 'stuff' it into a tiny two bedroom mobile home, I'll fit it into a three bedroom, two-story house!
ReplyDeleteOh Calisa, that's a sweet story but sad. I wasn't so attached to what he left behind but they were in awful good condition to just abandon. Which he did. It was late and he had no time to find them good homes. Hope the storage unit owner can make good use of them.
DeleteMoving is always exciting, but lots of work. For the first ten years of married life, my husband and I moved every other year for his job (DNR). Not so bad when it was us, but when we had the kids and they started school, I said "Enough!" So we've been rooted for twenty years. Enjoy your new home, Brenda. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Linda. Wow - twenty years. We've never stayed that long anywhere. This should be the last move but I really shouldn't say that. I've learned change comes whether you plan it or not.
DeleteHey, at least your mailman comes to the end of your road. In Tahoe, we go to the post office. The good old USPS may deliver through rain and sleet and hail. But not snow measured in feet! Though I haven't commented every day, I am enjoying your adventures. Keep them coming!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, snow. We might get a little of that but not a lot. Thanks, Jannine. Glad you enjoy.
DeleteCongrats on moving in, Brenda. All the luck in the world!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Jenny.
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