The Big Move - 2

We're trying to get the house ready. Jesus! 20 years of crap is a pain. What the heck were we (and by we, I pretty much mean me) thinking?! No joke, I packed up 20 pairs of jeans to send to Goodwill. Now I know that's not all that bad just as is, but not a single pair of these jeans has fit in maybe 10 years. That means I kept them, washed them, put them away, all thinking what? That if they fit again they'd actually be in style and/or look like something I should be wearing? Ugh! So I'm doing that.

I'm also trying to figure out how to dispose of all the furniture we're not taking with us - basically everything except two mattresses and a couple of bookcases. I got the name of an estate sale lady, but she wants what I call the kibble - books, toys, collectible stuff, and not the furniture as it's either cheap of slightly more than "gently used." Oh, we're taking a single couch because it belongs to dog. It's gross as hell and she loves it. It's not fit for human butts. It's that bad. But no one else will take it, so...

I sold the SUV and bought a minivan so we could drive west in comfort. Dog hates it and is deathly afraid of it. I'm pretty convinced she thinks it's made of poison and lava. I have seven weeks to get her used to it before we're trapped in it for a week with her.

And I got the quote from the mover. $10K. We're not even taking anything big. Mostly just a bunch of boxes. $10K.

Oh, and I still need to sell the house for a decent amount (this means fixing all sorts of stuff), finding a new job, finding a house, and getting rid of 20 years of crap. So, if anyone wants some house crap, I'm your girl. Name it. I have at least six of anything. Seriously, I'll pay you to come take it away.

I'll update once I get a second estimate and have the plumber and handyman lined up.

Did I mention that I found a new-in box, never opened flat screen TV in one of the cabinets in the den? WTF!?

The Big Move

I've always promised my daughter that when she graduated from college, we'd move back to California. We'd get a house, and I'd provide a nice, secure place for her to start her career and life.

Late last year, my employer announced that they were sponsoring an early retirement buyout for people that had been here a certain number of years. I'd be foolish not to take it as it's basically a free year's salary to leave. As I was planning to do that anyway, it was a no brainer.

So, we're packing up 15 years of house crap, trying to get the house in order to sell, get our lives in order, and get ready for a six-day drive to a place where we have no jobs or place to live. Oh, and we're bringing our 110-pound Newfoundland.

I'll be posting here as the journey unfolds. Someday I'll look back on this, and hopefully see it as the best adventure ever : )