Tag: moving

Santa Claus Arrives in August

Making a significant life change can challenge a person to overcome obstacles and branch out a bit.  Those obstacles can also bring out our resourcefulness.

Honestly, I don’t know if I was being more resourceful, stubborn, absolutely silly, or all of the above regarding my laundry conundrum today.  I will admit that this afternoon I just had to stop and laugh at myself.

Okay, let’s set the scene. I signed the papers to buy my new home in late June, and my move-in date was in mid-July. As you can imagine, I was quite busy there for a couple of weeks making arrangements for the out-of-state move. One big purchase that I needed to take care of up front was the washer and dryer. Lucky for me, the big box stores were having their annual 4th of July sales. Great timing! I shopped at my local store back home, and then called the store here in Montana to make my purchase. I was told that the set I had chosen was out of stock and would arrive around July 23rd or so. No problem, I thought. I have extra sets of bedsheets and plenty of towels to get me through. And like many women, I have far too many clothes.

On July 25th, I hadn’t heard anything, so I called the store to see if they had an estimate on the arrival of my new appliances. No information. On Friday, I did get the right person. The washer and dryer were in transit and would be there soon. Okay, I could hold out a little longer. I’m used to handwashing underwear anyway.

Then, this past Monday, I finally got the news that the set was in Spokane. Okay, we were getting closer. I should get them by Friday, for sure. They still needed to make it to Missoula before shipping to Kalispell, though. On Wednesday when the phone rang, I thought finally I would get my delivery time. Nope. Sorry. They were trucking them up Thursday, so I would probably get them Friday, or Saturday for sure. He apologized for the delay. The next day, on Thursday, they told me that the delivery would be Saturday, but I would just need to stay near home because I’d get a call thirty minutes beforehand.

As you can imagine, I woke up this morning and called the store. (They had left a couple of messages yesterday when I was out hiking.) I was assured that I would get the delivery sometime today, but they didn’t know when.

Less than five minutes later, the phone rang. “Ya, I’m sorry, but we opened the box, and the washer is damaged. I can deliver the dryer if you want.” Was this really happening? No, I preferred to wait for the full set. By this point, I wasn’t even upset at all. My situation had become quite humorous. I decided that I wouldn’t let this ruin my day in any way. I had plans with my new friend this morning and an event this evening. I could wait another week or so.

When I got home this afternoon, I realized that the only thing I was really running low on was dishtowels. Should I go to the laundromat for a load of towels? I still had a few clean bath towels. Then my stubbornness, or maybe resourcefulness, kicked in. I can hand wash a few dish towels, right? Throw a little detergent and bleach in the laundry room sink, swish them around, rinse a couple of times.  No problem. Oh yes, I did.

Then some Montana magic happened. As I sat down to write this post, a white pickup truck pulled into the driveway with a brand new washer and dryer in the back. One of the two gentlemen had a fluffy white beard with some sporty sunglasses. Undoubtedly, he was my summertime Santa.  I told them the story of that morning’s phone call, but they had no knowledge of it.  They just said this set had my name on it since yesterday, and they were sent from the store to deliver it. It was mine, and it wasn’t damaged in any way. This was also their only delivery of the day. Interesting. Clearly, someone at the store was taking care of me.

They were both very friendly, Montana Friendly, as I now like to say.  After it was all set up, we chatted a bit about great places to kayak, and they left me with the owner’s manuals. I thanked them and made a comment about the fact that I hoped they weren’t more complicated than my automatic sprinkler system. (I thought I had reprogramed it yesterday, but, well I didn’t.) Summer Santa said, “Where is it?” He walked over, punched a few buttons and re-programmed it for me. Merry Christmas!

After they left, I realized that if I had gone to the laundromat, I wouldn’t have been home for the surprise delivery. (There was no thirty-minute call.) Sometimes stubbornness, or maybe resourcefulness, pays off.

 

 

Hang-ups

Moving into a new home involves ample time with the drill, hammer, and screwdriver. Really, there are so many things to put on the walls, and not just artwork. Actually, hanging art is the easiest. If it isn’t quite right, just move it up or down or over, hammer the picture hook back in, and done.

It’s all the other stuff that’s consuming my time and energy. For example, I thought it would be simple to hang up two racks of hooks for the mudroom. Not quite. Each rack had three screws. Not only did I have to get the holes in exactly the right spots, but I then had to line up the second rack next to it. That ended up being a two-day thing; I finally got it right this morning. There just might be a few extra holes hiding under those racks, but they look great now.

However, the mother of all hang-ups is the large curtain or drapery rod. Oh, those do scare me a bit. Fortunately, I have been schooled in anchors, both from my cousin who came to help me the first week, and some trial and error. Today, my new friend brought over some like-new, gorgeous draperies that just happen to be perfect for my bedroom and living room. (Once again, I am pleasantly surprised and overwhelmed by the kindness of my new friends and neighbors.) I got on the ladder to hold them up for size, and she approved. Now I’m a little anxious about drilling: okay maybe more than a little. I just can’t mess up. It may take a couple of days to psych up for this job.

So yes, I do have to admit that I have a hang-up about hanging things up.

Postscript (August 25, 2018): It did take two tries to get the big, double-traverse drapery rod correctly installed in the master bedroom. The first time, I had set the brackets too close to the window frame. This was after carefully calculating and being absolutely certain about the measurements.  I made my second attempt last Monday, and after a couple of hours and a few expletives, it looks just right. It’s starting to feel like home.

 

Sometimes You Just Have to Ask

Yesterday I had some good luck with Craigslist. Well actually, mixed luck. I did make a run to go see a table that I thought might serve as an ideal desk/workspace. It wasn’t so great. Now I know why the photo was a bit blurry.

But my other quest was better than expected. First, the house was just a few miles away, which is not always the case around here. I was looking at a queen bed and bed frame. It was in exceptional condition and was a classic style, perfect for the guest room. The owners were friendly, too.  She then showed me a couple of other items: a scrumptious oversized chair with an ottoman and a custom-made steel coffee table with a glass top. I didn’t hesitate. “I’ll take it all.”

One little problem: I just moved here, and I have a small SUV. How was I going to get all of this fabulous stuff transported? Only the coffee table would fit, but I wouldn’t be able to lift it by myself.

Fortunately, this is Montana, where practically every household owns a pick-up, and most people are pretty darn friendly.  And let’s just say I’m not exactly shy.  I first tried my new friend in the neighborhood. Surely she would know someone with a truck who could help me. Oops. She couldn’t think of anyone, but she did offer the services of her son who was coming into town for a visit. My next option was a neighbor. I had only met him once, but he seemed like a good guy. Really, what was the worst thing that could happen? He could say no, or make an excuse. He didn’t. Most people are helpful by nature.

So late this morning the three of us headed out to pick up my not new, but gently used, furniture. I’m so very thankful for the kindness of those who were nearly strangers. No doubt I’ll have an opportunity to repay their kindness sometime soon.

 

Garage Love

It’s taken just a little over a week, but I’m in love…with my garage.

Today’s must-do chore was setting up the storage racks in the garage. Not my favorite task, but I had just purchased some used furniture and wanted to start refinishing it. Thus the need to finally organize the garage.

You have to understand something about me. I’m not really a garage person, or at least I didn’t think I was. Sure, I’m a bit handy. I have a cordless drill, finishing sander, and a toolbox with the basics. I need space for my sports equipment, too. But I’ve always thought of garages as yucky, dirty places.  Continue reading “Garage Love” →

The Journey Begins

I’ve been saying that I want to write for quite some time. So here I am! Actually, I have only lived “here” for eight days. I’ve packed up and moved to the beautiful state of Montana. Not a second home, but my new home.

I started making plans for this move about a year ago. I was four years out of a divorce, had been teaching for over twenty-five years, and really, really needed to make a change. First, I made lists. What do I really want? How can I truly find contentment? Then, I did quite a bit of reading. Finally, I did some in-person investigating. I visited the places at the top of my list, and then met with real estate agents. I wasn’t messing around or just talking about it; I was doing it.

Besides the divorce, I was at that turning point known as the empty nest. Fortunately, my kids turned out alright and had begun supporting themselves. This is what really opened the door for a big change. (Yes, I do consider myself quite fortunate.) Additionally, I hadn’t been particularly successful in the dating game and was unattached. Many people had told me I was picky. Darn right! Why would I compromise and agree to spend the rest of my life with someone unless he was going to make my life better, and I could do the same for him?  Essentially, there was nothing left to hold me in place.

And that brings me to the purpose of my blog. I just want to share and express myself. I do have some strong opinions, but I’m not out here to create controversy. I’ve had enough of that. I just want to write, and see what happens. I do hope to entertain and hopefully make you laugh, as well as provoke some thoughts.

cloudy sky