Moving update
Mar. 5th, 2008 10:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
muck_a_luckNot much to report. We have an excellent plan for the weekend, and mostly are in a holding pattern.
With the notable exception of book packing.
On Sunday, while the Barbarian was napping, we sprang into action. I did do a few car runs, but more importantly, Husband got started on his thing. He pulled out all the collapsed boxes from under the stairs and we started in on construction. I pointed out to AG33 that when we moved two years ago, he was an expert at building the boxes. We each took one and I walked him through it. Then he took another one, and I grabbed one and he looked at me and said, "Mommy, I'd prefer to assemble them all myself."
Well. I can tell when I'm not wanted.
So he goes crazy down in the basement, building masses of boxes and stacking them in huge towers and walls. Husband gets started on packing the books on the main level, and has two stacks 6 boxes high - with accompanying empty bookshelves - when the Barbarian wakes up.
She was thrilled and amazed. She wanted to see all the changes. She went back and forth from parent to parent like a little monkey, pointing us this way and that so she could investigate. Then she got a lift downstairs. When she saw all the box piles, with her brother in the middle of them doing the box thing, she had to get down on the floor to explore. She would weave in and out between the towers, gracefully not bumping into them, staring all around.
Then AG33 demanded more boxes to build. The rest were in the hall closet. When I opened it, I found a bunch of already constructed boxes on top of the collapsed box pile.
(Oh. We are talking about approximately 300(?) collapsed banker's boxes, btw.)
I started pulling out the empty built boxes in stacks of 4 and 5 and carrying them into the room in great moving towers. AG33 and the Barbarian were in awe.
Then I started handing AG33 the flattened boxes. The Barbarian immediately felt that she should contribute to the cause. She came over to take the boxes from me. I started helping her pull them out and then she would wrestle them to her brother. The boxes in their flattened state, mind you, are as tall as she is in every dimension. She would get a good grip on some of them and be able to lift them and carry them forward, but others she would kinf of shove them a little ways, then either crash into the closet door or just trip on the box and then she and the box would flop forward. No harm done, no frustration, she had a great time. She was able to "deliver" boxes faster than her brother could construct them, but she would get somewhat cross when he didn't take them from her right away, so we had to find distractions.
Saturday is going to be the big day. My Parental Units will arrive Friday evening, so the Barbarian will have lots of adult supervision Saturday and Sunday. We are now planning to rent a truck on Sunday, when the Aunties will also join us and with six adults and one almost-ten-year-old, we will move boxes like crazy people. I expect at the very least, we will get the books moved over. I hope to also accomplish the move of a lot of the less organized stuff. The kitchen. AG33's toys. Clothes from the closets. That kind of thing - on Saturday and Sunday. Then Monday, when the movers come, we might be completely moved, or close to it.
Meanwhile, today I spoke to our landlord at this place about our final moving out plans. I mentioned that I planned to be here cleaning on Tuesday, Wednesday, and maybe part of Thursday. It may not take that long, but I am allowing myself that much time. Her husband called me back and said, no, don't bother to clean, they were going to be doing a lot of work on the place after we leave. I said, "Well, at least I want to leave you clean bathrooms and a clean oven." He said, "No, don't bother. And we'll have your security deposit back to you before you leave, by the way."
That is just weird. Nice. But weird. My paralegal paranoia is completely kicking in over this whole termination. Everything has been by oral agreement and handshake. Which is not permitted by our lease. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.
All that said, I *will* be leaving this place broom clean at a minimum. I'm going to clean the kitchen, the stove, and the bathrooms and vacuum and dust the entire place and mop the floors. I won't go crazy and clean the carpets, most of which I know they are planning to replace anyway, nor lose my *mind* and clean the windows or anything. But I'm not gonna see pictures of the dirty stove in court one day... Not that these folks would do that. They have been nothing but honest and up front with us as far as I can tell. It's that pesky contract lawyer, small litigator, landlord-tenant attorney background that I just cannot shake.
With the notable exception of book packing.
On Sunday, while the Barbarian was napping, we sprang into action. I did do a few car runs, but more importantly, Husband got started on his thing. He pulled out all the collapsed boxes from under the stairs and we started in on construction. I pointed out to AG33 that when we moved two years ago, he was an expert at building the boxes. We each took one and I walked him through it. Then he took another one, and I grabbed one and he looked at me and said, "Mommy, I'd prefer to assemble them all myself."
Well. I can tell when I'm not wanted.
So he goes crazy down in the basement, building masses of boxes and stacking them in huge towers and walls. Husband gets started on packing the books on the main level, and has two stacks 6 boxes high - with accompanying empty bookshelves - when the Barbarian wakes up.
She was thrilled and amazed. She wanted to see all the changes. She went back and forth from parent to parent like a little monkey, pointing us this way and that so she could investigate. Then she got a lift downstairs. When she saw all the box piles, with her brother in the middle of them doing the box thing, she had to get down on the floor to explore. She would weave in and out between the towers, gracefully not bumping into them, staring all around.
Then AG33 demanded more boxes to build. The rest were in the hall closet. When I opened it, I found a bunch of already constructed boxes on top of the collapsed box pile.
(Oh. We are talking about approximately 300(?) collapsed banker's boxes, btw.)
I started pulling out the empty built boxes in stacks of 4 and 5 and carrying them into the room in great moving towers. AG33 and the Barbarian were in awe.
Then I started handing AG33 the flattened boxes. The Barbarian immediately felt that she should contribute to the cause. She came over to take the boxes from me. I started helping her pull them out and then she would wrestle them to her brother. The boxes in their flattened state, mind you, are as tall as she is in every dimension. She would get a good grip on some of them and be able to lift them and carry them forward, but others she would kinf of shove them a little ways, then either crash into the closet door or just trip on the box and then she and the box would flop forward. No harm done, no frustration, she had a great time. She was able to "deliver" boxes faster than her brother could construct them, but she would get somewhat cross when he didn't take them from her right away, so we had to find distractions.
Saturday is going to be the big day. My Parental Units will arrive Friday evening, so the Barbarian will have lots of adult supervision Saturday and Sunday. We are now planning to rent a truck on Sunday, when the Aunties will also join us and with six adults and one almost-ten-year-old, we will move boxes like crazy people. I expect at the very least, we will get the books moved over. I hope to also accomplish the move of a lot of the less organized stuff. The kitchen. AG33's toys. Clothes from the closets. That kind of thing - on Saturday and Sunday. Then Monday, when the movers come, we might be completely moved, or close to it.
Meanwhile, today I spoke to our landlord at this place about our final moving out plans. I mentioned that I planned to be here cleaning on Tuesday, Wednesday, and maybe part of Thursday. It may not take that long, but I am allowing myself that much time. Her husband called me back and said, no, don't bother to clean, they were going to be doing a lot of work on the place after we leave. I said, "Well, at least I want to leave you clean bathrooms and a clean oven." He said, "No, don't bother. And we'll have your security deposit back to you before you leave, by the way."
That is just weird. Nice. But weird. My paralegal paranoia is completely kicking in over this whole termination. Everything has been by oral agreement and handshake. Which is not permitted by our lease. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.
All that said, I *will* be leaving this place broom clean at a minimum. I'm going to clean the kitchen, the stove, and the bathrooms and vacuum and dust the entire place and mop the floors. I won't go crazy and clean the carpets, most of which I know they are planning to replace anyway, nor lose my *mind* and clean the windows or anything. But I'm not gonna see pictures of the dirty stove in court one day... Not that these folks would do that. They have been nothing but honest and up front with us as far as I can tell. It's that pesky contract lawyer, small litigator, landlord-tenant attorney background that I just cannot shake.
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no subject
Date: 2008-03-06 04:14 am (UTC)I love the detailed account of AG33, the Barbarian and the Boxes. Excellent stuff. This is not boring to read, BTW.
no subject
Date: 2008-03-06 04:29 am (UTC)And, OMG, how awesome you "don't have to" clean AND you'll get your security deposit back! Fingers are crossed that it's for real.
no subject
Date: 2008-03-07 01:34 am (UTC)