Moving day SUCKED.
First off, I couldn't get a U-haul until Sunday the 30th. No biggie at first--we had found out the manager hadn't rented out the apartment until Sept. 1, so we knew we didn't absolutely HAVE to be out the "five days before your lease runs out" crap that they try to sell you (don't get me started). Let's just say that the week before moving, we couldn't seem to get much packing done. I took off work Thursday to try to get some done, but I ended up spending 2 1/2 hours at Sears that morning getting John's out-of-date inspection done on his car (another amusing story for later). So then I went home, got quite a bit done--including scrubbing the bathroom tub--before I then had to leave to go to our new town to 1) register Mary for school and 2) interview another day care. So all told, I got about 2 hours of packing/cleaning done that vacation day off from work.
So, Thursday morning the maintenance man shows up at our place to paint, thinking we've moved out 'cause it's 5 days before the end of the month, and "someone is moving in." "Well, yeah, but not until September 1st," I tell him. Hmmm.... Found out later that day that the apartment manager, finding out that our closing did go through, went ahead and told the new leasees that they COULD move in for August. Umm....sorry, we're not out until Sunday! Gotta admit, she was pretty cool about it. She said she'd sent painters over first thing Monday morning.
Well, we did the best we could. Sunday comes, we get the U-haul, and John starts loading. I'm trying to finish packing up the "loose ends" while he's doing the initial loading. Please, everyone, keep in mind that we couldn't find anyone to watch the kids while we're doing all this. I had two volunteers: one person who is currently 9 months pregnant with three other kids at home (I wouldn't even think of dumping my kids on her like that!), and another friend who is a twenty minute drive in the opposite direction. Sorry, not very convenient. And the kids were NOT very helpful--specifically the littlest one. I tried putting them all into a bedroom to play together, but it just was NOT happening. John had scheduled a friend to come and help around 2:00. Well, 2:00 comes, and we realize we have a problem. There are a LOT more "loose ends" than we figured. We have more crap now than we figured. We ran out of boxes. And the kids are keeping me from helping as much as I should.
John gets his friend (and more boxes), and the two of them load up all the heavy stuff. By the time they had loaded and unloaded the FIRST load, it was after 9:00pm. And they still had to go back to the sellers' new house to pick up the sectional that the couple kindly sold us for $100.00. John's friend did not get home until after 11:00.
At this point, I've had to put the kids to bed, so I'm kinda stuck in the house--and I've got to go to work in the morning for @#$% payroll. John goes back to make another load. He finishes the SECOND load around 3:30am--only to discover that the truck won't start! He's so exhausted, he just comes home and crashes. He probably got around 2 hours sleep before he got up, took me to work, took the kids to day care, and then started in again. We had called U-haul, only to discover that that truck "has a tendency to do that" and that we should keep trying, it'll eventually start! And thankfully, it did (after about 11 tries).
One of my co-workers called in for the day (don't get me started on that either), so I ended up stuck at work until after 2:00. John unloaded the truck then went back and loaded up the THIRD load all by himself (again). I got to help him unload it Monday afternoon (Yay! I actually DID get to help!). We finished up just in time to go pick up the kids from day care.
And here John was getting on to me for getting the 26-footer. "It's too big!" Well, I guess I did ONE thing right that day!
Now we've got a garage FULL of boxes, so we can't park in there. Many of the boxes were so hurriedly packed that they're unmarked. Clothes, food, etc. is all inter-mingled in our over-100 degree garage.
Oh, God. We'll never get unpacked.
Oh, God. Good thing we bought this place. I'm never moving again!
*sigh*
Poor John.
3 comments:
Poor John is right. Geez what a harrowing story. I have had moves go like crap before myself but nothing beats your story.
We are never moving again either. I told Jen that if she wanted to move again, she could get her next husband to help her.
Yeah, IF for some un-Godly reason we move again:
1) We're asking for more help (one guy--oh please!)
2) We're getting a baby sitter--no matter what!
3) Scratch all that! We're just hiring movers!
I would have thought that you remembered moving the TWO of you. Now the FIVE of you, that's something. No move is easy, but things go faster with more help and more vehicles. Not perfectly smooth, but Dave & JJ's move went sweet, in contrast to any other move I'v experienced.
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