Unloading

 Yesterday was a nice rest, but today it was back to business. We still had the contents of a 17' Uhaul truck to unload into storage. My parents were able to secure an air-conditioned 10x10 storage unit for us, but after we started loading things in, we started getting a little anxious that it might not all fit. Luckily there was a 10x20 unit across the hall that was vacant. After 4 or more hours in the heat and humidity, the 4 of us got everything sorted and unloaded into the unit. Its lovely. Even has 2 aisles so we can get to things. Our RV is not ready to contain our belongings yet so temporarily they are in storage too.

I'm detesting the heat already. I find that I don't do well under these conditions and most of the time I spent in the unit and not doing the heavy lifting because I felt like I was going to pass out. I can see already that our productive hours fixing up our new home will be very limited. But we don't have a time frame so when its ready, we'll be ready.

Just as we finished, the clouds blackened the skies and we thought we'd be able to get home before the rain, but it didn't quite work out. Unfortunately, it was another gullywasher and we had several boxes in the back of the pickup truck that got soaked. Have I mentioned that I dislike cardboard? Needless to say we got quite wet, as did the stuff in the pickup.

Currently Captain and my dad are building Mr. T's loft so that the kids can share a room. Its a 3 bedroom house that we are sharing and trying not to totally take over. Which is a little hard to do with an invading family of 5. Even Divagirl helped out.

The rain has stopped so the wet boxes can be brought in. I just hope they don't completely fall apart. It feels weird, like we're on a strange vacation, not like this is our temporary home.

On the Road and Going Nowhere

We left the peninsula around 3pm and crossed over to the east bay to take a less busy route south. After only 90 min on the road we hear a loud, startling sound and thumping. This could not be good. Immediately we pulled off the highway and looked. At first I didn't see anything, but upon closer inspection the truck had blown the back inside tire and there was metal hanging underneath. Nope, not good. We called the roadside assistance number and they were very nice and sent someone out to help us. 45 min later we had a great mechanic telling us that its even worse than it looks. Fan.tas.tic. If anyone is familiar with NorCal we were on hwy 580 just before it merges into I-5. Hot, dry and middle of nowhere. Oh and speed limit is 70 which means people are really going fast! We could see the rest stop a mile up the road and I had to pee like nobody's business. Needless to say its very awkward squatting next to a Uhaul with traffic on both sides. Mr. S was a trooper holding a blanket in front of me. Enough said.

Turns out the blow out ripped off the sheet metal that protects the fuel lines underneath, then sheared off part of the siding and the gas cap. In doing so it crushed the fuel line and was digging into the outside good tire. After 2 hours working on it in the hot sun and fast hwy, the technician was able to get it repaired enough to be moved. The closest town was Westly (yeah, I've never heard of it either) and it was determined that a part of the pinched fuel line needed to be obtained from Uhaul. So now we are spending the night at a tiny little motel, who took pity on us and gave us a deep discounted rate. But at least they have free wifi which gives me an opportunity to catch up on my blogging. We'll see what tomorrow brings. :)

To be continued...

6/28

2 Weeks Left

Two weeks until we leave and the landlords have already re-rented this place. We've sold a handful of things on Craigslist. We're trying to eat up the food we have in the house. We're trying to sort through our belongings for those that will make the cut. But we have a problem. Its HOT. We are experiencing a heat wave here and we don't have a/c, heck we don't even have a breeze. Its in the 80's in the house and no one wants to pack, no one wants to eat the meals I have to make, and we're all a little cranky.

I'm starting to wonder how this move is going to come together...

Sort and Sell

This is a process of minimizing. The first step is to sell any belongings that you don't love, need or use on Craigslist. Wait for people to call and inquiry. Arrange time for pickup. Wait for said pickup time and wait and wait and wait...Yes, that's usually how it works for us and C*list. Although we have managed to sell 2 tables and the patio furniture.

I've been going through knick knacks and home decorations and deciding which I want to reuse and lovingly pack and catalog them away and which ones I'm really tired of looking at. My stumbling block at the moment is the box of old photos and the box of last year's art work (for 3 kids), both of which need scanned or photographed so that the originals can be tossed. This type of project overwhelms me!

The goal is to get most or all of the big stuff sold first then have a yard sale for the remaining little things, donating whatever doesn't sell after that.

I've packed up several more boxes to go into storage. Doesn't it always seem that things get messier before they get tidier? The garage is on my list for this weekend. Although, the kids may win out and we may just hang at the pool and wait for Captain to return from his business meeting. It is supposed to be in the 80s and 90s this weekend.

Downsizing

In an effort to live more simply the inevitable must occur. We have to downsize.

One thing I've noticed in all the homes we've lived in is that no matter the size of the home, it will be full to bursting. We just don't stop accumulating stuff. We have lived in homes that including the basement exceed 4000 SF down to one bedroom apartments of 760 SF. The biggest thing about a house is that we can stockpile our possessions without giving them much thought. We don't have to think critically about every item and say to ourselves: "Do I need this? Is it beautiful? Is it useful?" Instead we can say: "I might need this someday, I'd better hang on to this. I could totally do a project with this...someday." Or my personal favorite: "This hasn't worked in the last 3 houses but it might work for the next one, better keep it."

The trouble is, someday isn't on the calendar. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Nope, no Someday. So I end up with a stockpile of stuff (some organized, some not) to do future crafts but due to the other obligations I have in my life, I never get to it. So all that stuff just ends up leaving me stressed out, feeling unfulfilled and collecting dust.

I am positively giddy about downsizing. I am a packrat. Not a hoarder. I like to keep sentimental items that serve no purpose at all except to make me wax nostalgic. I'm really good at getting rid of other people's stuff. Really Good! But enter into emotional attachment and I freeze, I waver, I fill really big "maybe" boxes. I am looking forward to the time when everything I own serves a purpose, even if that purpose is to make me smile.

In preparation for our road home I've been going through closets rooms and labeling big items with cards that say RV or KEEP or SELL. We plan on getting a POD to store the things we can't part with, putting the things that we need in the RV and selling the rest to start a nest egg for the trip.

Even with as many moves as we've made, we still accumulate stuff. It is so freeing to fill those SELL piles. Simple feels wonderful!