Moved in and Messy!

Next time I have the bright idea to move--tell me not to! The moving company, All My Sons Moving, showed up Saturday morning, April 25th. I chose them because they had the most professional sales pitch of the five companies I called.

Rick, the "lead," reeked of marijuana...great, off to a good start. I thought about calling the company, but really, how flexible is moving day? Once you commit to moving, you pretty much HAVE to move on that day--your phone has been turned off, your life is packed up and ready to go, and you don't really have the time or luxury of seeking out another moving company at that moment. So I was pretty much stuck.

They got started pretty quickly and things went fairly smoothly until they got to my armoire. Now, as many of you know, I spent years looking for the right armoire. I didn't want a box on bun feet. I wanted something beautiful, and I found it 4 years ago at a high-end (read: expensive) furniture store. The armoire was the first piece of furniture that was nice and new--I do have some nice antiques, but this was MINE. It had legs with an Asian sweep, a low shelf, and the cabinet was raised about 18" off the ground. The wood was some sort of burl, with copper accents. It was truly the most beautiful piece of furniture I've ever owned.

Of course, they dropped it.

Stoned boy was going up the ramp too quickly, and the second guy couldn't maintain his balance. He fell off the ramp, taking the armoire with him, ripping the legs and bottom off. Then, they dragged it on its side up the ramp and into the van.

Yes, I cried.

I know you shouldn't cry over material things, but I cried. I had waited and saved for this armoire. Its only history was with me. It is truly an heirloom piece of furniture, and they wrecked it. The owner said that they'd take it to a furniture restorer to get it fixed, but once furniture is damaged, its value is gone forever. And for me, it will always be damaged--it was perfect, and now it will always be "repaired." Is that a silly way to feel about a piece of furniture? Maybe, but it's a valid feeling, because it's the way I feel.I still haven't finished finding all of the things they lost or damaged--there are other gouges on my dressers, a missing shelving unit, boxes clearly marked "FRAGILE" placed upside down...bottom line, don't ever hire All My Sons Moving Company. I'll be filing a BBB complaint after everything is compensated, and I've disputed the charge on my VISA card, since they did such a shoddy moving job.One of my next projects will be to get rid of "stuff." I saw the end of an Oprah episode on which the subject was de-cluttering your life. The guest said, "Get rid of the junk so that your gems can shine!" What a great thought! I've known for several years that I have too much stuff packed away in boxes...I've got a lot of my mom's stuff, Grandma's stuff, Grandpa's stuff...but really, how much does it mean to me if it's been in a box for the past 10-15 years?

So, I've been rethinking the things I need, and the things I can live without. Do I really have to have a guest bedroom (hence the bed against the wall, which is leaving via Craigslist)? Nope, the second room is going to be my office/craft room. The couch or an aerobed will have to suffice if you come to visit me!

My cousin Jenn and I were discussing this a year or so ago...she said that she kept a lot of stuff out of duty and guilt, but finally realized that only a few things really brought pleasure and good memories. She kept those, and got rid of everything else, and hasn't regretted it at all.

So, I plan to unpack each box, set aside the treasures that mean something to me, and get rid of almost everything that I don't want to have out on display. What good is stuff in a box? There will be a couple of boxes of mementos, of course--things like my police stuff, and things from my childhood that I want to keep, but I don't see any reason to have more than 3 or 4 boxes of mementos. Have you had to deal with this? How did you?

Do you think I have a large enough jungle? I keep expecting to lions and tigers and bears any day now!On to better news: the kitchen is almost done! I just need the countertops!OK, and a little more paint above the cabinets...and a backsplash...I met with Curt to choose granite. I really liked a colour called Butterfly Verde or something like that--it was green, but the sample seemed to suck the light out of the kitchen, so I went back to my first choice (see one of the previous blogs). I opted for the same colours, but a different pattern--lots of lines would have been too busy in my small kitchen, but this pattern of dots and spotches is just about perfect! It has a lot of gold and red in it, which will pick up the colours in the cabinets. It also has black and silver flecks for the stainless steel appliances. Finally, I'll be living in something other than a "low-bid" kitchen!

As for my work life: I was in LA last week and got to see Melissa for dinner! It was great to catch up with her. I wish Greg and Mark could have joined us, but they were busy creating work budgets. I hope that things have settled down for them; I know that they were really stressed out from all of the pressure to get things done on a tight deadline.

In the morning, this guy walked into the hotel--don't you LOVE his hair? Seriously, I do like dreadlocks, as long as they are clean and well-groomed, as this guys' were.

We were in Wichita next, and Vijaya (my First Officer) and I walked down to a wonderful Italian cafe/coffee shop, where I had one of the best lattes I've had in years. Wichita's downtown is filled with delightful art, including these bronzes.How often do you think people trip over this little guy? Vijaya thought they must have cast this one in my honour-It was a little weird, because their downtown has almost been abandoned--every other doorway and window is boarded up, businesses have relocated or gone bankrupt, and what should have been a bustling spring morning was eerily quiet.

I'll bet there will be an amazing revitalization, though--the architecture is wonderful, there are lots of buildings that would make incredible lofts, and there is a lot to do and see downtown, such as the art, the river, museums and their cute little urban shopping center.

On to the province of Manitoba--can you see the river under the floodwaters? Yes, that's a house and barn (sorry that it's blurry)...This scene is being repeated in so many communities throughout North America this spring.

We were in Lincoln last night, so my crew and I went to the historic Haystack Market to have dinner. It was Hog Night--there were probably 100+ motorcycles of every brand lining the streets. Then, this guy drove up in his cherry red Ford whatever-it-is, and boy, did the guys all drool! Look at them, like moths to a flame! With a car like that, I suspect that that there is some "compensating" going on...what do you think? :-)I came home early today with the flu; too early to decide if it's bad enough to go to the doctor. I don't think its swine flu, but you never know. Thought I'd leave you with this wonderful thought from my cousin John, just in case.... Hope you stay healthy! Be sure to leave a comment--I love knowing that you've been here!