February 3, 2009

• News and Notes

  

  MOVIN ON UP:  I don't know exactly when, but I'm moving pretty soon. For sure I'll be at my new address by March 1st. Possibly I can be in the mobile home by the 15th. I was given the combination to the lock box yesterday and I drove by with a tape measure and my video camera. I wanted to finish measuring the back bedrooms, so that I can complete my "virtual" layout in the CAD program. Also I shot some footage for an upcoming video blog. I videoblogged the renovation of my current digs in 2007 and the makeover after Joel died in 2008, so I'm similarly planning a video blog concerning the move.

   Some bloggers have gone on hiatus during their moves. I've been at least making an attempt to post once a week. I'll apologize ahead of time for the lackluster response I've been giving to comments. I received a lot of great well wishes on my previous post but haven't thanked everyone personally yet. Suffice it to say, even if I haven't visited you and you're reading this, I thank you all for your wishes, congratulations and your prayers. I really feel like my "Xanga family" is experiencing these great times with me.

  I've been spending so much of my time packing. I've packed over 65 boxes so far. Most of these are in two sizes. 15x12x10 and 20x14x12. All the boxes are stacked in the living room close to the front door, with the heavy boxes on the bottom. I've labeled each box, and boxes which are fragile and cannot be stacked are marked as such. As I empty out furniture, I am moving the pieces into the living room as well. I can't move some of the larger pieces of furniture, but I'm pretty well ready to move as soon as escrow closes. I still have to box up my desk,  closet, and dresser, but these will be among the last pieces of furniture I clean out. Tonight I plan to clean out the media room closet, which contains a lot of non essential stuff which probably hasn't been moved since it was stuffed in there back in 1995!

  Our controller at work, whose husband collects rare comic books, is always telling me to sell my stuff. I never want to have to sell any of my Betty Boop collectibles, or laser discs, or books. I have tried listing some of my "non essential" magazine collections on craigslist, but nobody seems to be interested in the early Premieres or Entertainment Weeklies. I already tossed two full 32 gallon trash cans full of magazines. My mantra is: If I haven't looked at something since I stored it, I probably won't want to look at it again. I'll agree to being a bit of a packrat. It's a lot easier to get rid of heavy boxes of magazines, VHS tapes, etc. before I move, so I don't have to haul it all to yet more storage.

  I still have to list some furniture on craigslist that I won't be able to fit into the mobile home. Anything that I can't sell or move I'll store in the garage in my present place (as soon as Mike removes all his stuff, that is. He plans to move this week.) and get rid of it on "big trash day" around the 1st of March.

  My money still hasn't been transferred to my checking account from the 401k. As soon as that happens, which should be this week sometime, I can write the check for the down payment to the lender, and then wait for escrow to close. I applied for park membership last week. The owner's son moved most of her stuff out of the mobile home over the weekend. The appraiser did her job yesterday.

  I wrote a letter to my current landlord asking if I could just write a rent check for half the rent, and then write weekly checks for any time I'm in the present location after the 15th until I'm completely moved. He hasn't called me yet. I also presented the possibility of using the $1600.00 security deposit I made back in 1995 as part of February's rent. I've already paid the rent on the mobile home space for March.

  I did want to have new carpet installed in the mobile home prior to moving in, and will be looking at carpet places this week. I've met both my neighbors now, on both sides of my new home. Sheila is on my left, a single woman. And on my right are Carol and her son Mike.

  I can hardly wait till I move in and get settled. I won't have much time to relax however, because I will have to contact my doctor soon after I move to schedule my hip replacement replacement surgery.

  Well, I gotta get back to work. I 'm dashing this entry off before beginning my workday on Tuesday.  Hopefully my next blog entry will be a Mike's Video Blog. EDIT: 7:15am: Since it is February 3rd, the anniversary of the death of Buddy Holly in 1959 (traditionally called "the day the music died"), I will offer a LINK to my 2007 tribute entry for Buddy, who is always missed.

  • 9:56 am
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