The Trucks Arrive with 208 Boxes and Everything else!

Did I mention that we have a great deal of stuff?  When the packers were packing us up, Sergio, the lead, commented that there was zero wasted space in the house -- and we had loaded up every available spot with "stuff".  Yup!  I mean really, how many tubs of Christmas ornaments does anyone need?  As I find them all over the house they are being moved to the LL (lower level) workout room.  Before they go into storage (the dirt area connected to the workout room) we need to purchase a sheet of plywood or a large tarp or something, so for now they are just getting stacked.  Nine tubs so far plus the tree stand and an enormous plastic bag containing the tree. 

I had been pondering that dilemma:  how are we going to bring all that heavy decorations upstairs?  Problem solved:  Christmas tree will be located in the LL great room.  Done!  Whew!

Turns out Sergio parked his 53 foot van in the Home Depot parking lot and rented TWO 29 foot trucks and unloaded into them.  One was completely full, the other was about 80% full.  And he brought his crack team of four from Phoenix.  Again, a highly professional bunch who were more than polite,  I finally had to say, "Please, don't Ma'am me, makes my skin crawl; my name is Shon, please feel free to use it as often as necessary."  Kevin attempted to explain that it was a term used with great respect (he was such a sweety), which I politely responded with "Thank you, but call me Shon, I don't respond to Ma'am.  I'd never make it in the South!"

First we went on "walk about" so they could know to which room I was directing them, and then the most amazing case of controlled chaos ensued.  They arrived around 10:30am (took them close to two hours to unload the van into the trucks) and left around 4:30.  Wow, just wow!

For the first 4 or 5 days the cats slept only a little during the day, choosing instead to follow me around the house softly mewing and wanting to know why they had been transported against their will and now all their stuff was coming out of boxes and it was a hot mess and it was a strange house with their stuff.  That conversation was non-stop -- you think I've been complaining and grumbling, you should have to be subjected to Harvey (the Siamese) and Tommy (the red rescue).  Yesterday (Friday) Harvey curled up on our bed and slept from the moment Gary vacated until about 5pm.  He's settling in nicely. 

This is the living room, odd nook (which I'll figure out after I've finished with the boxes) and I'm standing in the dining room, the kitchen is to the right.  Stuff everywhere.  

This was the office before Gary rearranged stuff and set up our PCs.  His desk came easily, mine was too big to get through the door so it has been relegated to the garage and will be donated to some needy home some time in the future.  It's way not on my important list.  Some college student will be pleased not to be working on a card table like I am. 

The master bath.  It is an enormous tub which will be beautiful once the boxes get unloaded.  My master bath in the Humboldt house was enormous with tons of storage, this one has none except what is under the two sink areas.  Then I knew I had a large master closet, but good grief, I guess it was larger than I thought (plus there were eight large drawers), so as I'm unloading boxes I have no idea where this stuff is going to go.  Perhaps it's time to downsize?  Horrors!

As we unload, unwrap, each piece of paper gets flattened, stacked, folded and then loaded into the truck along with the flattened boxes for a trip to the transfer station which is about 15 minutes away.  The bed of the truck is stuffed full of flat boxes and the back seat it half way up the window with folded paper.  Several times a day I use Lori's magic wax goop that she makes to moisturize and heal my hands -- it is dry at 5800 feet and smoothing out packing paper doesn't help.  

Just one last grumble (for today).  We've been in our home for a week and in possession of our "stuff" for five full days.  WHERE oh where are our utensils?  Every box marked utensils is full of kitchen stuff, but not a real fork to be found.  And our plates?  Where the heck are they?  Mostly we've been eating leftovers (we actually picked apart a Safeway hot chicken one night -- just used our fingers, no sides, just too tired to care).  I found one baking dish and a few items from our pantry.  I'm going to bake chicken breasts, I have one small pot for rice and two glass pans to nuke veggies.  We're good.

And some really awesome news (besides the amazing sunsets):  I've been slowly but steadily loosing weight since I retired.  As of this morning I'm down 26 pounds and two dress sizes! 

Progress pictures will be coming.  We saw Only the Brave the first weekend we were here.  It's the story of the Yarnell Fire and the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who perished in that horrific fire storm.  You should put that on your "Must See" list, it was very well done.  Today we saw Goodbye Christopher Robin, true story about the little boy and his Winnie the Pooh.  The truth behind the fairy tale is often harder to listen to, this movie takes you though so many emotions.  More tomorrow.......