Tag: moving

CT To CA — First Night’s Stay

I’m writing while Helaine showers. We slept like babies. Add your own joke here.

We spent the night at the Red Roof Inn in Danville, PA. If you’re a traveler you know Red Roof isn’t the top of the highway lodging food chain… and yet, I’m here to ‘praise the roof&#185’!

We found this place using PetsWelcome.com. Doppler is small and quiet enough to sneak into a motel, but why?

This place is a two story affair with exterior walkways to the rooms. There were no first floor rooms vacancies. Upstairs!

Bed — Firm mattress. Absolutely comfortable.
Flat Panel TV — yes
Refrigerator — yes
Microwave — yes
Work desk — yes (with free WiFi)
Shower — good water pressure

All this for $65.84 plus tax. And we didn’t make the reservation until a few hours before arrival. It’s a correctly priced gem.

We’ll be out of here within the next hour, back on the road. We should be in the vicinity of Chicago, around 600 miles away, when we stop this evening.

&#185 – Red Roof: Feel free to steal that phrase. It works.

CT TO CA — Day One

Google Location history

By 4:00 PM the movers had gone, Helaine and I (mostly Helaine) had straightened up. It was time to go.

Emotional? Of course. How can you leave a house of 23 years without a few tears? It’s a great house. It’s full of memories.

And then there’s the whole leaving Connecticut thing. 28 years a Nutmegger. That’s emotional too.

“I’ve never seen traffic like this,” Helaine said that before we’d left Hamden! Probably a product of the thunderstorms and rain showers we’d experience for the next four hours.

It was a slow go across Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. We were both surprised how far from New York City we had stop-and-go traffic from homebound commuters.

The traffic thinned as we approached the northwestern corner of New Jersey. It’s hilly and rural. That’s not what you expect in New Jersey!

We pulled into a rest area and fired up my laptop. Another hour and a half seemed easily accomplished, so I made reservations in Danville, PA.

The goal was Pennsylvania. Mission accomplished.

We’re 238 miles into our journey–less than 10% of the way to SoCal. Tomorrow should produce a lot more miles with a lot more hours behind the wheel.

Tonight’s Epiphany

We’re wrapping up in Hamden. Our home network will be the last thing down. We need to be online to the very end.

Things from the house promised to others are going out. That brought me in contact with online shipping. Until now I’d gone to the post office or one of the other carriers.

It doesn’t matter which one I used. I came to an epiphany tonight. When you do the postage at home there’s a little more leeway than at the post office.

Someone correct me if I’m wrong. Weights and measurements for shipping are like the speed limit. It says 65, but you can probably get away with 72… maybe faster.

I realized this too late to be a rogue. It’s wisdom passed along.

The other thing clarified, every package has a different price. It’s as if I was at the wrong end of a random number generator. I’m sure there’s sense to the rates, but not that real humans can understand. Complex.

Two More Nights

With the tag sale over, a huge section of the garage and first floor have been repatriated. For the first time in weeks the house is less messy than the day before. It still looks like burglars were here!

In retrospect our move would have made a perfect Gantt Chart. So many deadlines. So many actions that had to be completed within a window of time–not too early, not too late.

For instance, the cable boxes and phone modem go back to Comcast tomorrow. There was no way we could have done that earlier.

Helaine is taking me out for Father’s Day dinner at 5:00. In retrospect, not the best use of our time, but I’m looking forward to it. We both need a little decompression.

We’re down to the point where most of what’s left are odd shaped pieces that will have to be bubble wrapped. We still have loads of boxes to pack.

The movers arrive Tuesday morning. They will do some last minute packing, especially more delicate items. After that we head out. We’ll be reunited with our stuff in a few weeks.

We’re almost done. All we need accomplish are two house closings, a cross-country drive, delivery of new furniture, craftsmen adding additional features to our new home, unpacking our Connecticut stuff, changing our addresses with everyone and collapsing.

There’s probably more. I’m really looking forward to my opportunity to collapse.

We Are All Tired!

DSC_2182I’m not sure it’s possible to express how tired I am… how tired we are. It’s 9:25 PM. Helaine went to bed around 8!

Doppler, who spent the day being praised and petted by strangers, is bushed too. She is currently in a state of suspended animation on the sofa to my right.

Tag sale day. Yikes!

DSC_2194The sale was to begin at 9:00 AM. My wake-up was at 4:40 AM when Helaine discovered the lawn sprinklers had fired. Uh oh.

Luckily, few things were hit or hurt. Still, who expects to be awakened for that? I went back to bed after assessing the situation with Helaine, but that kind of sleep is not the same.

Helaine, joined by next door neighbor Margie and friend (and Bentley’s mommy) Cheryl, were out before the official start time. The early bird predictions many of you made were for naught. There were a few before 9:00 AM, but no onslaught.

DSC_2198The first sale went to across-the-street neighbor, Joe.

I ambled out a few minutes after nine, cup of coffee in hand, as if I was an observer. That attitude quickly faded. From then until well after noon there was a steady rush of pickers.

DSC_2202We sold a lot, not everything. Much is being donated to a variety of charities. The rest hit the dumpster.

Helaine and I found that part therapeutic. It’s part of letting go. Twenty three years in this house. We have to let go!

Helaine rented fifteen industrial strength tables for the tag sale items. She’s very smart. Of course, it also meant 15 tables to knock down and carry at the end of the day.

DSC_2205Actually, most of what I remember from today has to do with carrying. That’s why I’m so physically spent.

It was great to meet those of you who came to say hello. I was touched by your kind words and how you remembered specific times I was part of your life.

People came with dogs. We love dogs. A majority of the dogs were small. Many resembled Doppler!

Every tag sale is different. This one was to save things we like, but can no longer use, and find them new homes. The money (as our prices reflected) was secondary.

In that regard… in all regards, the sale was a major success.

Our garage has been purged. Another step on-the-way to Tuesday’s move.

Thanks to Tom Powers for all the photos.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

From the no good deed goes unpunished file…

With a few days left before we drive off into the sunset, Helaine decided a tag sale was in order. As I’ve found out, we’ve accrued a boatload of stuff!

By 6:00 PM everything was out on the driveway, neatly displayed on the 15 tables Helaine rented.

Then came the text message. Rain on the radar! Seriously, Mother Nature? I thought we were friends.

Within a few minutes EVERYTHING was back in the garage.

We did get a little rain. Not much. It didn’t make any difference. Any rain was too much.

It’s all back outside now. We’re ready for our 9:00 AM kickoff.

My back will never be the same.

We Took Out An Ad On Craigslist

The house looks like a bomb went off! Stuff is everywhere. We quickly realized an interim step in packing is, “Holy crap what a mess!”

Parts of tonight’s dinner were served on Barbie paper plates. Does that give you an idea?

We’re moving with no furniture. Most is staying with the house.

What to do with the rest? We have a veritable lost and found after 23 years in this place.

Helaine has organized a tag sale for Saturday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. We’re selling household goods, lots of ties and some odds and ends of furniture. We even took out an ad on Craigslist.

I’ll admit it. It’s weird for me, someone who’s been in the public eye for decades, to mention our tag sale online. It seems the right thing to do.

I suspect some of you might come to say hi (no goodbyes, please). That’s fine. There’s no obligation to buy.

I have no idea how many people will come. In case there is a crowd, I ask you please be respectful of my neighbors and neighborhood.

See you Saturday. The weather will cooperate!

Right Now We’re Deflating

Neither Helaine nor I remember moving into this house 23 years ago. That seems very strange considering the house is upside down with boxes nearly everywhere. How could there not be vivid memories of the last time?

We will move. Right now we’re deflating! The refrigerator is as empty as I’ve ever seen it. Ditto the pantry. My underwear and sock drawer have plenty of empty space too.

We had a dumpster a few months ago. It’s making a return appearance.

My car has been reassigned to the driveway. Its spot in the garage has become a staging area with things to be moved or to be sold at a tag sale this Saturday (weather permitting).

We have been saying so long to people.

wpid-20130608_203855.jpgEddie and Pam, who we met at birthing class, joined us last night at Pepe’s on Wooster Street. We will miss them and Pepe’s and Sue who works there and collects touristy pens.

Tonight I was in Newington having dinner with Floyd Wright from WDRC-FM. We know each other since freshman year in college.

I still have TV friends to see and Rick and Harold and the neighbors. How the hell can we fit all of this in?

When I was in radio I moved all the time. I lived in West Palm Beach, Charlotte, Cleveland, Phoenix and Philadelphia. It never seemed earth shattering then. Now our world is topsy turvy.

When I drove to Florida for my first fulltime job in radio, everything I owned fit in my Volkswagen with room for a hitchhiker (who let me crash on his dorm room floor at Georgetown). Times have changed.

Helaine has done most of the work. She has the organizational skills. I have to step things up.

We enter the home stretch. Not much more than a week to go. Then the long drive begins.

The Inspection

Our home’s sale is on schedule. Today an inspector spent a few hours looking around. This is part of the normal process. The buyer doesn’t want a pig in a poke (whatever that means).

We’ve taken good care of this place, but still worried there might be something we missed. Nope. Other than typical wear-and-tear, we’re good to go–literally! No surprises.

The physical inspection is done, but two more pieces are outstanding. Our air is being tested for radon, our water for bacteria. Neither should pose a problem.

I continue to be amazed by the complexity of the whole sell/buy process. All these steps. All must be completed in order. I have signed a million papers.

Attention to detail helps. Helaine is in charge!

The Move Gets More Real Every Day

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With each succeeding day our upcoming departure gets more-and-more real. We have set the date to move. We’ve got the closing dates set on this house and our new home in California.

We plan on driving the 2,867 miles in Helaine’s car. Doppler will live the lapdog’s dream. She will NOT be strapped to the roof.

The guy buying our home in Hamden came by today to have the septic system tested. I don’t blame him. I would have too. There were no problems. We passed with flying colors and a minimum of stink.

During our last trip to California we (meaning Stef and Helaine) chose flooring and other custom features for the new place. I was there for some reason. Not sure what it was.

Stef, whose own apartment is really well decorated, was incredibly helpful and insightful. I was impressed. She had great suggestions, most of which were implemented.

Our Connecticut house will come with most of the furniture. We plan on taking none west! That lead to furniture shopping today.

I know, it doesn’t sound logical. But, with the lead time on furniture, it made sense to buy here and have it delivered there!

Helaine, Doppler and I hopped in the car and headed to the furniture store. A few hours later I had the bill for three rooms fully furnished rooms.

With each passing day here are more “t”s to cross and “i”s to dot. We’re getting closer.

I am both melancholy and excited.

The Move Comes Into Focus

Americans move less today than in the past. I’ve figured why. It’s a pain!

I’m saying this now even though moving is still weeks away.

We’ve already thrown out a dumpster’s worth of stuff. It’s possible we’ll need another… hopefully smaller.

A man came by to prepare an estimate for moving our household goods. This is alchemy, right? He walked around and took notes. He seemed very knowledgable. How can you translate that into weight?

At the moment our plan is to drive Helaine’s SUV. Google says 41 hours of driving from here to Irvine, California where we’ll live. A week’s drive? I’d be happier with five days, but there’s no sense pushing it too hard.

Doppler will not be strapped to the roof!

We’ve started keeping lists. Who has to be informed? Cable, oil, lawncare, electricity, etc., etc., etc.

So many decisions. So many tasks. So little time.

The most intricate part is putting all the pieces together in the right order. Some steps are dependent on earlier steps being completed. That’s especially true of the two ‘closings’ we’ll be part of.

Frazzled? Me? Sure. It probably gets more intense from here.

It’s Sunday And The Dog Is In A Bag

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We had an “Open House” today. Our real estate agent came by with additional signs and balloons so anyone driving down our quiet cul-de-sac would know. Home shoppers were encouraged to just drop in.

The last thing a home buyers wants to see is the home owner! We get it.

The “Open House” was 1-3 PM. We needed to evacuate. First we needed to clean.

Helaine and I are grown-ups. The place doesn’t get that dirty. Still, there’s a different standard for potential buyers. We want to show the house in its best possible light. Buyers expect no less.

Where to go? We needed to kill at least two hours with Doppler in tow. And the weather sucked!

“Moderate drizzle,” I said to Helaine as we pulled into the lot at Ikea on Long Wharf.

Drizzle has to do with drop size, not intensity. The automated observer at Tweed/New Haven reported it as Light Rain/Fog/Mist.

Doppler is quite an amazing dog. She rode on Helaine’s lap in the car, then transitioned into her stylish camo bag. She was not thrilled putting all four paws in, but she didn’t fight it. She was a quiet and passive observer as we walked through the store.

In situations like this, Doppler makes herself as close to invisible as a white dog in an over-the-shoulder camo bag can be. Most people walk by without knowing she’s there. Really.

Our trip today is another part of the moving process. We get a chance to redecorate. At the moment we’re just looking–trying to define our combined taste. No buying yet.

It’s easy to kill a few hours at Ikea. We waited for the all clear before returning home.

We’ve lived 23 years in this house. If we could only bring it with us. That would make things so much easier. We’re going to miss this house.