The Big Move

U-Haul Truck Rental: $19.95 + $1.39 x 60 + $30 = $133.35(?)

Taking the "movers" out for drinks after the move = $62.00

Launching the couch over the balcony railing because it wouldn’t fit through the front door = priceless


I just don’t know where to begin...

Saturday, I slept in until 9, and didn’t really start packing until 10:30. By noon, I had a carload full and went over to the new place to clean. Neil came over to help me with a second carload and then he went to work, I grabbed dinner and went back to WP to regroup. The only break I had all day was from 5:30-5:45 when I sat down to eat dinner. So, basically, it all began at 5:45—I took the North Bus to the Red Line and picked up the U-Haul truck at 6:30, right on schedule. The truck itself was really rather ghetto—the shocks sucked and I yelled "Yeehaw!" several times when I hit bumps in the road. It also was a great ordeal to start the truck—it took all the energy I had to turn the key far enough for it to turn over and catch (this proved highly amusing to Marianne and Neil when we were driving to Old Town later in the evening). Anyway, I got a little lost (was in the wrong lane when the highway split) on my way to Marianne’s so I lost a little time backtracking, but we loaded up her stuff and were heading back to WP by about 9. Nevette came over and the three of us took turns guarding the truck while the other two carried things down the 2 flights of stairs from Mandy’s apartment. Nevette had to leave at about 10:30, but Neil showed up soon after and we were on our merry way, arriving in Old Town at about 11:15 (which was exactly when I estimated we would be there). Ikolo met us there, and Soule and Emily came a little late, but the entirety of our belongings were inside the new apartment by 12:20am! The highlight of the day, as I mentioned above, was the creative way we had to get the couch inside after we realized it wouldn’t go in the front door (because of the quick turn in the entranceway). Neil and Ikolo were on the ground level in the rear. They carried the couch to the landing below, and the girls and I were on the balcony/porch. The boys stood the couch up on its end and we tied a rope around it which I held to keep it from tipping away from us. Then the boys hoisted and the girls pulled and it came right up over the railing rather smoothly and then straight into the door. It was just amazing. And we are still laughing about it today, two days later, and the fact that we did that at about midnight. So, after we were done, we took a short break, and then we all went to drop off the truck and get something to eat and drink (since I’d promised). It was almost 3 when we got home and about 4 when I went to bed.

Sunday, we went grocery shopping (we bought enough to feed a small army) and then took a trip to Bed Bath & Beyond (with stops at Crate & Barrel Outlet, Best Buy, & Home Depot looking for a TV stand). After that we just unpacked and unpacked and unpacked. We still have quite a bit of unpacking to do in the kitchen, but the front two rooms are pretty much set. We have a list of things we want (like the TV stand, a rectangular rug for the front room, a square rug for under the dining table, a large mirror or piece of artwork for over the sofa, a clock for the middle room (dining room/office), and a pantry unit for the kitchen), but we can certainly get by in the meantime.

The big thing we need to address today is the lack of hot water...