As we continue to march towards a date both of semi-separation for The Ravishing Mrs. TB and her job as well as the plan to get things up here, one forgets how much one gets bogged down in the details.
She was undecided whether to transport her car or to drive. She has made the decision to drive, as there are some things that could not fly (and you cannot transport a car with anything in it). It will easily be a four to five day drive, although hopefully she will not have to rush to get here.
That still leaves a number of things in the house and garage, most of which will have to be moved into a storage facility or donated away on local buy nothing groups (amazing how much one can accumulate in 30 plus years of marriage). I will likely give things a once-over for one last time when I visit for Christmas. Hopefully a lot of it will go, but some of it will stay. Which will then, most likely require the services of a storage locker.
That is one of the unanticipated outcomes of this method of moving that we have arrived at, stretched out across multiple locations and multiples states. We have stuff at The Ranch, stuff in New Home, and stuff in New Home 2.0.
I am beginning to feel a bit like a multi-national corporation with locations.
What all of this means, of course, is that even after she has relocated, we have not really "relocated". On one hand that is okay - after all, we live in a space much smaller than what we used to live in and thus we cannot have everything here. At the same time, it does mean that at some point, there will be at least one long trip from New Home to bring things up (I say one; any furniture is likely beyond ability or willingness to move at this point, let alone in a truck half way across the U.S.).
Relocation in stages is not something I had specifically planned for. I am of course grateful that the lion's share was taken care of for us. It does not mean I enjoy the remaining hyena's share one bit.
Yup, getting closer to D-day, the more details jump out..... a four/five day drive by The Ravishing Mrs. TB.....alone? Have the phone charged up and the pepper spray to hand TB.
ReplyDeleteThey do, Nylon12 - partially because we have to think of that sort of thing. Fortunately the drive is almost completely on major Interstates and we know people at all the major stopping points. Still, daunting task - it makes me glad that this did not happen years ago when I would have had to effectively add a full driving day on to get home for holidays or major events. I certainly enjoy driving more than flying now - but not straight and not all at once.
DeleteI have not had to make such a move as yours and back when I did, I wasn't downsizing and didn't have much to start with so I could take everything I had in one go. But if I had to make such a move now, I think I would just leave all the furniture behind and start over, only bringing with me those irreplaceable items. Five days of traveling, plus rental and other associated costs, could probably buy a lot of furniture.
ReplyDeleteEd, we have actually discussed that as a "Things we learned" from the move - and had the move not been covered by my work, likely would have rethought that (that, and some of the pieces were fairly new so that would have been a bitter pill). Certainly living in an apartment is not a long term plan, but I do not know how much I want to move things around after that.
DeleteI feel for you, too. I moved about 20 miles this summer. It never seemed to end. From a small house to a smaller house. Lots of stuff and some machine tools. I desperately wanted to avoid the 3 stop solution. Left behind a little treasure, but it is good to be out and in the new spot.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Nylon. I don't think I'd be able to let the missus do that alone. But you two are world travelers. Your experience is much broader. I'm just a home body. Go forth and prosper.
STxAR - We were spared some of the downsizing (but not all), although a fair amount (as noted above) remains to be decided on. A storage locker or two is not my desired outcome, but may be unavoidable given the distances involved and the space we currently have.
DeleteThe Ravishing Mrs. TB is actually a far more competent and savvy traveler than I am. I worry more about me on the road than her - and like you, I am far more of a home body.
Had to rent a storage locker when I downsized 2 years ago. Still paying for that locker but my goal is that the "stuff" will be gone or sold by summer. I did pay the extra cost for a temp controlled as some of the furniture pieces are more than a hundred years old.
ReplyDeleteAnon- That is what our we will have to do too (I was actually looking at storage facilities last night). The temp controlled lockers are more (sigh), but to your point some things should just be out of the weather and climate.
DeleteI thought the daughters were staying at New Home? Must be my memory.
ReplyDeleteAnything you donate of any worth get a receipt for tax purposes. It all adds up.
Good luck, be safe and God bless.
Linda - No, you are correct, the two younger ones are staying in New Home for the duration. They are both enrolled in college there.
DeleteA good reminder on the tax receipts. Even now that most of my stuff is here, I am building a pile of "donation" things. I need to become more disciplined about it.
At least you're getting closer. It will feel more like home when you're together again, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteI think so, Leigh - although I am having a bit of a chuckle about the fact that we will have to learn to live together after almost 10 months of being more or less apart. I have already developed a whole new set of morning and evening routines that will now have to be redone.
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