Sunday, September 13, 2009

15 days and counting!

I’m so excited!!!

Things I’ve accomplished in the last week:

1. Turned in the documentation for one financial form.
2. Collected the documentation for the one remaining financial form, which I’ll deliver tomorrow.
3. Bought paint.
4. Made an appointment for movers for Oct. 2.
5. Arranged a closing time (11am).
6. Arranged a walk-through for the 23rd, where they explain the warranty.
7. Took the week of the 28th off work (a coup I wasn’t sure I could accomplish, so hurray!)
8. Got moving boxes and supplies.
9. Gave away my piano.

My dad is such a character. He’s very understated and self-deprecating (not surprising, after 35 years with my mother) and generally not given to emotional displays. So he calls me up Saturday morning and says, “Hey, I have the cancelled check you need for the other half of those forms.” (See item 2.) Great, why don’t I come over and pick it up? He says, “Actually, I’m already out and about, so why don’t I swing by and bring it to you?” Sure, why not. “Oh, and I also have a couple moving boxes for you to move with.” Hey, sweet! I’m thinking he scavenged a few from work and brought them home, or something. He shows up and what does he have? A complete array of about 40 moving boxes from large to small, plus dish-packing foam, packing paper, three rolls of tape and a Sharpie. *laugh* “Oh, I got a good deal at Home Depot.” Aw! Thanks, Dad. What he didn’t know is that I’d come this >< close to buying a box kit the night before, and only sheer laziness preventing me from hitting the “Checkout” button when I was on the site selling the boxes. Procrastination pays off sometimes!

As for the piano, I just saw it off about a half hour ago. I’m a little sad about it. I got the piano for free back in 2000, from a friend of mine who was moving. I’ve moved it three times since then, including to my current place. But the reality is that although I really enjoy playing, I just don’t have the time to play it. I’ve played maybe 10 times in the five years I’ve lived here, and considering they cost about $400 to move, I just couldn’t justify moving it yet again to just sit, unplayed, in my family room for another decade. I decided that since I got the piano for free, I would likewise give it away and hope that it would find a good home. And it did--a graduate music student saw my Craigslist ad, came over to check it out, and immediately agreed to take it for his basement studio. And this evening, he arrived with all his friends (and a rather rickety trailer) and lugged it out. Goodbye, sweet piano! I hope they get it home in one piece. As others pointed out, if I feel inclined to take it up again, I can always get a keyboard. At least those don’t weigh 200 pounds.

So, all that remains for the next couple weeks is to start packing, arranging for utilities, and doing the big ugly cleaning jobs (the oven and the fridge, cleaning the blinds, dusting the trim) so that by the time I’m all moved out, I just have to wipe the place down and hand in my keys. My schedule for the week of the 28th is to close, then go in and tape and lay dropcloths in preparation for painting, plus I can start moving boxed items into the garage. Then one coat of paint goes on on Tuesday, and one on Wednesday. Thursday I can start dismantling the larger furniture so that the movers just have to pick it up and lug it out Friday morning. Then I’ll have Saturday to clean and check out of my apartment, and Sunday to collapse from exhaustion.

Now to go nurse my aching back and play Sims 3.