A Moving Experience

The other day, I wrote about there being a story behind why I finally got around to opening the big box of material that I'd shipped to Los Angeles after my father's passing two years ago.

This is the story.  Call it a holiday miracle of sorts.  Something my friends thought would never be done.  But it came to pass.  After over 30 years of living in my apartment...I am moving.  Today.

So, as you might imagine, I've been a wee bit preoccupied the past few weeks.  (And if this here is filled with typos, sorry.  But I'm fairy swamped today and will not be going back to proof-read it.)

Mind you, for a move after 30 years, it's not a very big one.  I am moving across the street.  Literally across the street.  Not down the block, or metaphorically "across the street."  But across the street.  The two addresses are off by 5.

It's not just that I'm familiar with the area, but I really like it a great deal.  It fits my life wonderfully.  I like to walk, and there is SO much within six blocks walking distance in any direction.  If you live in a residential area, it might be beautiful, and preferable for some people and their circumstances, but more me -- who works at home -- it's important to be able to get out and expand my world.  And so, within those six blocks, there are a post office, a library, two movie theaters, a large part, a grocery store, a Trader Joe's, my auto repair shop, two dozen restaurants, a big park, a police station, fire department, bank, a couple dry cleaners, a Bed Bath and Beyond, and in two months a Target is scheduled to open in a new mini-mall, and they are supposed to be breaking ground down the block for a new Whole Foods.  And I'm six blocks from a freeway entrance.  And walking distance to a light rail station, so I have easy access to getting around the city.  And it's still pretty much a residential neighborhood.

So, I was looking in "the area."  I just didn't expect to end up across the street.

I'd seen a couple condos in that building across the street, and loved them.  (It's a fairly new building, about 12 years old.)  But their location within the building was lousy.  One, for instance, overlooked the alley.  Another was right next to the front door.  So, for the past 18 months, I've looked elsewhere.  But one day about six weeks ago, totally by accidental, I saw that there was an open house in the building -- but it was ending in only half an hour.  Of course, being just across the street, it was easy to get to...

The negotiation was surprisingly fast -- and odd.  Finding the place occurred only two days before I left on my train trip across the country to Chicago.  So, the negotiations took place on the train as it headed through the desert at night.  When I left, I wasn't even sure if there'd be cell phone accessibility.  But it all got settled on the last day of the ride, as we were heading through the Midwest.  But because I was on a vacation, I had to occupy a lot of my time with all the red tape and paperwork.  And couldn't be there for the inspection -- my realtor and a friend had to do it in my place.

Because the condo is across the street, I decided to make the move as stress free as I possibly could.  Rather than have to pack everything up, and make sure I was ready by a certain date, I made it easy on myself.  First, I didn't have to be out by any exact date, so I just stayed over and paid an extra month's rent.  And second, for the past month I've simply carried boxes over for a half-hour or so every day, getting everything put away except for the few Big Items.  And the movers are coming by for all that.  They really don't even need a moving van.  I mean, seriously, what are they going to do?  Take a sofa from my apartment, carry it down to the truck, immediately take it out of the truck and carry it across the street?

The place is very nice, and far bigger than my current home of the past three decades.  Now, I'm in a one bedroom apartment.  This is three bedrooms.  I don't need that much space, but better to have too much than one room too few.  And when I do get around to selling it at some point, I suspect that that's better for it, as well.

The one problem is that after 30+ years in a home, you develop muscle memory.  I know where everything is in my place now.  I could get around with my eyes closed and grab whatever I need.  That is no longer the case.  My new master bedroom alone has two huge walk-in closets.  AND a third closet.  

But there I shall be, starting today.

I say all this for another reason.  Because I'm moving and also disconnecting my electronics, I can't swear I'll be back online, let alone in any shape to post anything again later in the day.  I'll try to auto-schedule something to post later today, so at least there should be a song to move by of some sort.  But with some luck, and the assistance of my tech friend Bill Goldstein, I may be hooked up and able to give an update on it all this evening.  I'm not counting on it -- I suspect it will be exhausting -- but at the very least, I should be refreshed and up and about tomorrow.

​Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some last-minute things to pack...