Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Move-In

Moving Day at the Dome! It took me nearly five years, three contractors, and a husband, but the day has finally arrived.





Nothing but boxes all aroundThe move actually took place over two days -- one day to pack up the old place & load the truck, one to move the stuff into the new place. Since I recently had minor surgery & am not supposed to be lifting heavy stuff, I paid extra to have the movers come in & pack up all of the household goods (kitchen, &c.) Worth every penny. They did in one day what would have taken me a month, didn't break one dish, and I didn't have to hoist a single box.
Loading up the truckWhen we moved from California to Missouri, we transitioned from a fairly large house into a much smaller (allegedly short-term, temporary) residence. We thought we had pared our belongings down pretty well when we set out, but there was still so much stuff crammed into that tiny house that it was kind of comical. The head mover told me that I won the award for having the most things in the smallest space. It'll be nice to have a little room to spread out at the dome. I am determined to not bring in a lot of new belongings there... I want to keep it comfortable without being overcrowded. There will obviously have to be some new furniture (guest bedroom, &c.) but I'm going to make do as much as possible with what I already have -- for both monetary & aesthetic reasons.
The cupboards are bareEverything was eventually packed up & moved out. Goodbye, little house. I'm thinking it will need a tiny bit of work before I get ready to sell it in the spring, but it wasn't a bad place.
Unhappy FridayThe cats, naturally, were quite displeased with the whole process. We kept them crated up while the furniture was being moved. Oh, the indignity of it all.
Unloading at the domeDay 2, the day of the actual move, was bitterly cold. The poor guys were bundled up like snowmen while they were out at the truck, but if they were inside for more than a few minutes (shuttling cartons upstairs, or something,) they would shed the heavy jackets & hats as they worked up a sweat. So, all day long, it seemed like there were jackets going on & off just inside the doorway. It was actually pretty funny to watch.

Now, I'm just unpacking boxes & getting settled in. More later as I get this place knocked into shape.