Insert Title Here

I can't think of anything clever or suitable at the moment.

So on goes the sorting and packing. I've gotten things culled down to a decent level, and I'm sure once I get over to my new unit, I'll find more things I can get rid of. Rather, of which I can get rid -- so that I'm not ending my sentence in a preposition.

I think I'm likely going to simultaneously find out that I both have more space for storage and less. So I'm banking more on the less part, and thus being pretty ruthless. There's some things I think I could likely donate, but I want to wait first and see about space. I have more stemware than a single woman needs, and since I bought two sets of my new dinnerware I have about 12 or so matching mugs. I kind of hesitate about donating those, as they match the set. But nor do I need 18 mugs.

Plus I am on the waiting list for storage space, so I'll have a bit more room for that. I can put my two bins of Christmas decorations in storage, along with things like the extra mugs and even my Christmas wrapping paper. Stuff I rarely touch. And my flattened boxes. Random stuff.

But all in all, it's been really fun. That may raise an eyebrow or two from you, but I actually really like sorting and organizing, and I try to do it once a year, usually in the Spring. I heard about the impending refurbishment of all the apartments in February, and, at that time, I thought I was going to move out of mine and then back in. But I kept waiting to hear about it (I was told a few months) before I did any culling and organizing, as I wanted to just do it and pack at the same time.

I've done a pretty good job of keeping what I have tamed, but after 7 and a half years in a place with four closets, I did kind of get lazy about some stuff. I think I've done a pretty good job of culling it down, but wowsers. Am I pooped and sore.

I'm to the point now where I've pretty much gone through everything. Now I just need to pack up my pantry things and my kitchen. And I can't wait to get moved in and settled; I think the unpacking's going to be a lot easier than the packing, given the lack of sorting, culling and 82 thousand trips to the recycling room.

Plus it'll be like what my mom said when she moved into her little house (the one she just moved out of earlier this Summer / Spring), that it's fun to find new "homes" for all the framed pictures.

I think I may also finally have room for a nice bookcase. In my old apartment, I had a long wall where I could have put one, had it not been for the electric baseboard heater that ran the entire length of it. We'll see. First I need to get organized and settled, then I need to get new curtains for my room (the apartments come with the generic kind of curtains you find in motels), and then I can see about a new bookshelf.

Ooo...an "excuse" to go to Ikea....

So there's my semi-update. I've kind of wound down, but I have to admit, it'll feel good to be as fully packed as I can be, so that I can just slide into my new place easily, and have a break -- rather than having to pack and move at the same time. Bleah.

I did have a "Grr" moment earlier today. I carefully measured my sink unit thing in my second bathroom, as I knew it would be approximately the same size as my new one. I also remembered it was slightly shorter, so I shaved off a few inches from the height.

I went to Fred Meyer this morning before work to peruse the plastic storage bins, and found two drawer units that I thought would fit, given my measurements. Then, at lunch, the managers let me pop into one of the refurbished units to see if they'd fit and....

I found out they're about 5" too tall.

Sigh.

So now I have to rethink my bathroom. I know what I can do for some stuff, but I'm losing my drawer where I keep my toothpaste and a few other things. I'm also losing counter space, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my makeup organizer. I do have a unit that hangs on the wall above my toilet that can provide a cupboard space, so that will help.

And I discovered that I had four extra lids for Rubbermaid bins -- but no bottoms. I did find one bottom in my pantry where I was using it to hold cleaning rags, so that solved the mystery of one of the lids, but now I have 3 others without mates. I've been through everything where they could be -- so where on Earth did they go?

I was thinking perhaps I could just take the lids in, show them to someone at Fred Meyer to show they came in with me and then find bins to match, but I noticed this morning that all the Rubbermaid bins have changed design, so none would fit.

To quote Ace Ventura, Allllllll righty, then.

Ah well.

Oh -- car news. It's still at the shop, awaiting the engine, which is supposed to get there tomorrow. So my old pal Angus should be back with me next week.

Anyhoo. That's all for now.

10-4, good buddies. Over and out.

Hello-o-o-o-o-?

That would be the echo in my apartment.

I'm too pooped for a descriptive blog, but needless to say...more progress has been made, and I'm pooped. My brain is so fried, I think its own timing belt is about to go, or at least the pistons are misfiring. I was trying to put away some nails and hooks and I actually found myself staring at the little sections of the organizer trying to match up the long things to the long things in one of the squares, and the little question mark-shaped things to the other little question-mark things.

But here are pictures of what I've done.

I did run into Robert, one of the assistant managers, and he said it's likely a good thing I've gone ahead and done all this, as things are opening up "pretty quick" over in the other building.

It was a touch heavy on the Christian Bale this weekend. I watched The Machinist last night, a movie he did about four years ago. He plays a man who's had insomnia for a year, and who starts seeing a co-worker people swear don't exist, and he starts finding strange messages in his apartment, written on sticky notes. On top of that, Christian Bale lost about 60 pounds for the role.

To say the movie is...disturbing, is like saying that the Atlantic Ocean is damp.

Or...it's like someone said, "You know, Memento is a superb movie, but it just wasn't creepy enough."

Anyone who's seen Memento will know what I mean.

Then as I was organizing and packing this morning, I watched Reign of Fire, also with Christian Bale, though on TV. Essentially Man versus Dragons that have awakened and who are trying to take over the world. It was decent, but what was weird about it is that Christian Bale speaks in his "normal" voice -- his Welsh accent. The only other time I remember hearing him use it was in Empire of the Sun when he was bout ten or eleven years old. Every other time I've seen him he speaks with an American accent, and I kind of forgot he's actually from the UK.

Then, as I packed up my dishes, glasses and stemware, leaving out two of each to use, I watched Batman Begins as background sound. What an awesome movie...but I still think Dark Knight is better.

Anyway. I know I said I wasn't going to make this a long one, and I'm not. It's now a lovely day outside, and while a part of me is craving going out and enjoying the sunshine and the nice breeze, the hungry, dusty, grimy-feeling part of me really couldn't care less and just wants a big plate o' spaghetti and a scrubdown in the shower.

Hasta la vista, all.

-- H

Progress

It's really hard to believe what I took to Goodwill this morning. Apparently I have a fifth dimension in my apartment, something like the TARDIS, Dr. Who's call box, his telephone booth that had a massively huge spaceship inside it once you stepped in.

The entire Escape was filled, and I just took another load of stuff down to the recycling room. I also got the filing cabinet and bathroom cabinet taken care of; I decided that since I hadn't heard from Andrew it was "no thanks" to all things offered, so I put them on Craig's list. The ink hadn't even dried on my ad for them (I was offering them for free) before I got a call and let them go.

I immediately took the two ads down, but apparently "Delete" and "Confirm Delete" didn't mean what I thought it meant to Craig's List as I continued to get calls. I came out of my movie with my Mother (Mama Mia!) and found eight voice mails from people asking about it. I went to her house to get some bags I could use for putting more stuff in for Goodwill (despite my wagonload today, I know I'll have more) as well as some more boxes and logged onto Craig's List to see if my ads were still there.

And...they were.

So then I had to hassle with them because the site kept saying I didn't have an account. Given that I've created one before -- twice -- and logged in this morning (you can post without an account, but I know I had one), it kept saying no account could be found under my email, nor could my email be found in their system.

Quite strange. Given they emailed me two confirmation emails this morning after I posted my ads.

But I've made huge progress today. The trip to Goodwill, first, then I went around and took down all my hanging and framed pictures, in order of size. Then I boxed up the medium and small ones, and went around and pulled out all of the nails from the wall. A few I couldn't reach as furniture makes it too hard to get to them, so I'll just get them later. And then, after a slight snooze on the couch, I boxed up all my books. Tomorrow I think I might do the knicknacks in my living room and bedroom.

I know it sounds like I'm being hoisted out of here within a few days, but I honestly don't know when I'm moving -- just that it's soon. I feel like this scene from Spaceballs:



Like Lord Dark Helmet, I have no idea, either, when my then will be now or when my now will be then ... or... when my now will be now or my then will be...uh, then.

Whatever.

Anyway.

They did say it could be next month, but as all this transpired on July 31 (the car and the decision to move), I don't know if she meant August or September. But she did also say that a unit could open "soon", and so that could mean my then could be now soon at any time...er --

What I mean is that I could get a call sooner rather than later, and I'd rather be as packed up as possible.

I won't have time to work on my place next Friday or Saturday, as Friday is our company trip (we're going to Cannon beach for the day), and then Saturday I have a four hour workshop, then in the evening I have a talk to go to. Plus Friday night my friends are having a CD release party for their new album.

And so I'd rather just get as much done this weekend since I'm out those two days.

Anyhoo...I now have 9 boxes in my office, two of which are stuff from my filing cabinet. And the funny thing is, as I've been going through my stuff the common thought popping into my head has been, "Why have I been keeping this?!"

Now it's time for a tasty sandwich and beer from the store. (That's my brother's influence on me, and such a meal is commonly known as an "Andrew Special.)

Here's to hoping my then will be now, soon.

-- H

Escaping

So...I decided to use my Dad's Escape that he's kindly let me borrow this week to my advantage.

I came home tonight and spent nearly four hours going through my office stuff, as well as a few other spots in my apartment, getting rid of papers, junk and stuff I can give away.

Then I loaded up the car with as much stuff as I could for tonight, and I'm going to drop it all of at Goodwill tomorrow. I think I'll be able to use the Escort for anything else; I had a printer stand thing in my office closet that wouldn't fit in my car, and I also wanted to donate my printer. I haven't used it in I don't know how long. When I do want to print something I just use one of the printers at the office.

I want to get rid of my four-drawer filing cabinet, too, but I think I'm just going to put that on Craig's List with a "Free!" tag and let someone else come and get it (I did offer it to Andrew, but I doubt he'll take it....Anyone want it? Anyone want a cabinet that hangs above your toilet? Andrew has first dibs on that, too, but anyone else can have it if he and Hanne don't want it....)

I also stuck in bedding and suitcases.

I'm pooped. I'm now going to take a shower and eat and flop. I think an Escape-load size of work tonight is enough. My plan for the rest of my place is to go room by room for culling / junking / recycling, and use my office as the piling / sorting ground.

Oh, I forgot to mention my 5+ trips to the recycling / garbage room....I have about three more of those to do tonight, actually; then I'll go to bed.

Say....is it a good thing when it looks like the top 1/3 of the big community recycling bin looks like it's mostly your stuff -- ?

Ugh. Why is it whenever you go through and get rid of as much stuff as I have tonight, the room in which you've been working looks WORSE than when you started?!

Okay. I need to eat. It's after nine, I feel gross and I'm starving.

-- H

Movin' on up...!

I had a wonderful adventure, starting Wednesday evening.

I was on my way to my acupuncture appointment, and as I pulled out at a light, my poor little 1996 Escort, christened Angus, made an odd straining sensation and sound, shuddered a little, and acted like it wasn't going to make it across -- and then it got zippier and picked up. But then my "Check Engine" light began flashing, much to my dismay. It finally stayed on, a little glaring orange light that can mean any bazillion number of things from something small to major drums of doom.

I drove cautiously down the street, paying attention to how it felt and sounded -- but nothing began making any kind of noise or feeling that gave concern, so I continued on, with the intent to go and simply drop Angus off for a check up the following morning at the shop around the corner from where I work.

However, when I turned my car on after my appointment, I was greeted with a horrible dry, grinding, hacking, clattering sound coming from my engine. I knew, with a great sinking feeling, the "Check Engine" light had, indeed, heralded in the "drums of doom."

I called my dad, and he suggested checking the oil; it looked a touch low, so a nice man offered a quart of oil that he had. I put it in, let the engine run for a bit, and the sound stopped. It sounded like I'd at least be able to get home.

But no more than a block and a half away, the sound came back, and I managed to limp poor Angus back to the building and park in a spot where the tow truck could easily get to him (it!).

As Angus got shepherded away to the mechanic's, my dad came and got me in his Ford Escape, which he's kindly lent to me while Angus is in the shop.

The diagnosis I received was that "Angus is really sick." Apparently what happened was that my timing belt went (what I felt with the straining feeling as I crossed the intersection), a piston then bumped a valve and the valve shattered, dropping its parts into the engine, thus chewing it up. To my knowledge I've never had the timing belt replaced (it should be done every 50K miles for my car), and so it went kaput, having worked itself into collapse after being used for slightly more than 100K miles.

After about 842.37 calls between my father, the mechanic and me, the decision came to put in a Ford factory refurbished engine, which will come with a 3-year 100K mile warranty, as good as a spanking new one. The whole total's going to come to at least $3500, and while that sounds like a lot, I'm essentially getting a brand new car inside my 1996 chassis. I can't argue with that, as anything I'd purchase for approximately that amount would come with parts and an engine as old as the car. And it's way cheaper than a new car, which I can't afford.

My dad and grandmother graciously offered to help pay for the repairs, for which I am deeply grateful.

So I'm looking forward to having Angus all healthy and bettered again. I may even manage to squeeze a gallon or two per mile from him; right now I'm averaging around 24-25 MPG, which is nearly as good as many of the new cars I hear being eagerly touted on TV.

When I get him back, I'm going to make sure he gets a good scrubbing, polish and shine. I owe him that much.

In the midst of all of that, I decided I needed to scale back in other ways; I've been living in a really nice 2-bed, 2-bath apartment. I was told in early Spring, that the company that owns the apartments wants to refurbish all the units, and to stay in the one I have, I'd have to move out, let them fix it up, then move back in.

But the whole car thing got me thinking, especially as I was considering the possibility of perhaps having to make car payments as well as then have higher insurance, too. I suddenly realized I no longer wanted a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment. It's been nice to have -- the second bathroom was for visitors, leaving me free to have mine in as much of a state of chaos or cleanliness as I wanted, and the second bedroom I used for an office and a meditation area.

As I began to realize, nice is nice, but it's not always necessary.

So yesterday I called the front office and asked how much I'd save if I moved into a 1 bed, 1 bath unit; she told me that it would be $700 a month for a fully refurbished unit. I'm paying $735 right now for an older unit, and with the refurb rent will, for my unit, go up $150. No thanks.

I asked if there was a unit I could see at lunch when I came home, and she said there was. Within three minutes of walking around I was sold. It's in the building across from mine and will face south; I went back today to take pictures (I'll stick in a link at the end of this entry), and ran into the woman whose unit I was shown yesterday (she chose to move out temporarily while hers was redone; it was nice, because her plants and patio furniture got left, so I got a nice visual for what mine will look like), and she said it's also very bright in the Winter. My unit is darkish anyway, even when it's sunny out, as it faces a shady yard. In the Winter it's even worse.

I can't wait. The refurb is absolutely wonderful! They put in:

• Granite countertops
• Stainless steel appliances
• Really nice, new linoleum flooring that looks like stone
• Brand new Berber-like carpet
• Brand new paint
• Totally new recessed lighting in the kitchen (before it was flourescent with plastic sheeting...)
• Brand new low-flow toilet
• Brand new tub
• Brand new sliding glass doors
• Brand new everything possible that could be removed and replaced
• Brand new heating (it used to be electric baseboard coil units; it's still electric, but now they're units with fans)

The terrace runs the entire length of the apartment, making it nearly twice as long as the one I have now; more room for plants, garden gnomes and windchimes. There's going to be extra room, and since it gets nice light, I think next year I'm going to plant some herbs and maybe some tomatoes or something to grow out there. I've always wanted to grow lavender, too.

It's absolutely beautiful.

And here's what I'm most excited about: my bedroom has a sliding glass door that opens onto the terrace! It feels so...so...elegant.

I'll have to do some scaling back, of course, and I'm on the waiting list for a storage space in the apartments (I was told there was none a long time ago. Actually, what that manager said to me was, "Not really."), and I may have to rent a space someplace as my Dad's attic is stuffed more fully than a Thanksgiving Tofurky.

There's actually a decent amount of storage space, and my bedroom has a closet that's about the size of one and half of the ones I already have, plus it has another smaller one with shelving. "You can put your sweaters or other knitwear in here," Susan said.

"Oh," I said. "No -- shoes. Not sweaters -- shoes. Every woman needs a shoe closet!"

She laughed and said, "Yes! Absolutely!"

Honestly, it feels good to be moving into someplace smaller. I was thinking today that, while it doesn't take a lot of time to clean my place now, it can sometimes get tedious.

I may turn my dining area into a little office, and use my meditation corner screen to close it off. Evenutally, I may just shift over completely to a really nice laptop so I can have a dining area. I've inherited hosting Christmas Eve dinner, and I do enjoy doing that; I suppose we could always sit around two card tables in the livingroom or use our laps....

Anyway. Now I'm thinking out loud...er...in cyberspace. Whatever. I'm babbling.

All this transpired in 24 hours, the car and the apartment.

Here are pictures of a unit like what I'll have; this isn't going to be the one I get, but it's enough to show you all what I'll have:

Heather's New Abode

Later, all!