Progress Report

Good Gawd, it's the end of Month One of my Renoviction & what have I done? Well, er, nothing.  That's not totally true, by the way, but it's mostly true. Someone found an empty apartment a few miles away - a SMALL, one bedroom, empty apartment in the basement of a modern home with a landlady who is still in shock about her former tenant moving out on her. The lady wishes to think about whether she wants to rent right away or get over the trauma for a month or two first  .   .   .   .  I smell trouble there. Maybe there's more than just a boyfriend reason for the move!! I told my friend, who is a friend of the lady, that I don't have time to sit around & wait while she makes up her mind. Did I mention it's Tax Season as well???

So this next week I am checking out Storage. I need prices & sizes because I have to start moving bins. Even though I'm not taking any furnishings other than a lamp or two, a rustic coffee table & a purple dresser for my TV, the bins all need to fit into it - ALL of them. Maybe I'll just get one with heat & light & move in! I'm also checking out Boxes. I have books everywhere. I have a 200 lb, revolving, 5 layer, pocket book rack from a school library full of books. And there's VHF movies & some Audio Books on cassettes. It all must go. Since I got that book rack & all those books, I've gone electronic. It's so much easier to carry 3000 books around on my ebook reader & it doesn't inflame my thumbs to hold them open to read
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I met a fellow in the check-out line at Safeway who has a son working at the Federal jail. He buys all the latest books, reads them & donates them via his son. I have his phone number somewhere & should pack up everything I don't want to move & send them on. I wonder if they take text books???  Note to self - A trip to IKEA for small boxes would help.

On the needles - you didn't think I'd give up knitting did you??? I've turned the heels on the latest car knitting - striped Kroy socks in light grey with dull blue, yellow, red & rust stripes. I am putting blood red toes on them to brighten them up a titch. I love them so far even though they're a little dull - I mean even dull socks can keep your toes warm, right????

Wow, wasn't yesterday great??? It sure was in my part of the country. Tee-shirt & leggings weather for sure. I binned another bag of recycling - all the plastic tubs I've been saving to freeze berries, put away freezer jam & leftovers. I'm rather embarrassed at how many margarine & ice cream containers I had. There's a huge box of cardboard to go next - yeah, I open all the box ends, fold them flat & stand them in another box so they don't take up much space.

While rooting around in the two third hand wall units - remember them?? Dark brown photographed wood grain paper over particle board, shelves on top & doors on bottom??? They were old when I got them. I found a whole layer of the old leatherette bound Reader's Digest condensed books. I started collecting them in my late TEENS. And moved them for years. But I'm not moving them again.

I also have a lead on a small basement apartment which never hits the market, friends of friends who like single women only. Don't know for sure about it yet but it's another option. And I picked up a load of roast pork & fruit at my favorite Chinese market to celebrate the great day. By the middle of the afternoon, I hit the wall & had to go for a nap! Hahahaha - Not used to all this running around, that's for sure.

I looked at several public storage places within a mile of me for a smallish container - all of my packed bins except the current projects & the sock yarn could go right now. I like the small IKEA boxes too - they have tops & handles & won't take too much weight when full. They would sit nicely on top of the plastic bins in storage too.

Talked to a couple of my old customers yesterday too - they both offered themselves & trucks. But we're all retired & not getting any younger so I suggested I find a storage unit first - If I'm going to the Ex's, I want it close to him & If I'm renting a basement again, I'll want it close to that!!!!  THEN  we take a truck load of bins a couple times a week. That way I clean out what I WANT & dump what I don't by hiring GOT JUNK or someone similar to take the rest. Moving when you're old & have mobility/breathing problems is a pain in the ass. Actually, moving any time is a pain in the ass .  .  .  .

Can't Time Stand Still??

I can't believe how fast the time flies when you don't want it to! It's been three weeks since my renoviction notice & I've done almost nothing. Oh, I've wished for a giant bin to fall from the sky - right outside my door - with enough room to park beside it. I've dreamed of throwing every damn thing I own, except the sock yarn of course, into that bin & walking away.

Well, I have to keep the Indian spinner & a couple of bins of fibre too - especially that sweet little New Zealand fleece. And those neon bags of Aurelia top in Paua & Magenta, the remainder of the  lovely Brown Sheep mohair/wool grab bag & that huge bag of yummy grey wool/alpaca. And that box of RED Briggs & Little Heritage yarn which goes with the 135 litre bin of blues & assorted leftover odd colors. Did I mention the bag of Knit Picks Palette?? It's only a small bag for two projects  -  summer projects!

Oh gawd, I need my sewing machine & serger too. And the patterns, the fabric, the bin of sale thread, zippers, buttons .   .   .   .   & a man to move it all since it won't fit in my car.

And I want my new Red pot that looks like an old fashioned coffee pot, my  old white Corning Ware soup mugs, the slow cooker & the Nutri-bullet with the HUGE To-Go cup. I would take the plant stands & the little spider plant in the plastic water glass as well as the big pot of grasses on the patio. My old Health Tec soup pot, the wok & the pressure cooker would also come as would my Chinese veggie cleaver - I cut everything with it & two 8 cup plastic measuring cups.
Even if I toss the furniture & all the junk I don't need, I still need a moving truck & a storage unit.

Is it time for a drink yet?? The sun must be over the yardarm somewhere!!! I can do this tomorrow  .   .   .   .   I'll just cast on another sock & do some more planning on paper first.

There's a Vacancy in Quesnel

With four months to move, the fun is already starting. I've had two 'helpful' male friends call & suggest ridiculous things. One spotted a listing in Quesnel - yup about a 9 hour drive north - cafe,  small apartment building, 5 cabins, two bay garage on the side of the highway. I could take my pick  & rent out the rest!!! as long as he gets the garage .  .  .  .   The other suggested I relocate to Sparwood - I think that's about 8 hours east through the mountains just above the US border. He could use a bookkeeper. Meanwhile, I haven't even glanced at a listing yet, at least not until I sort through some of the junk in my basement. Oh, did I mention it's Tax Time???

My Ex took me to lunch yesterday at our favorite Chinese cafe. He wants his taxes done too. He's been undergoing more tests since his red blood count is low again. The doctor suggested it may be a poor diet that's causing the problems since they can't find any other reasons for the fluctuation. He doesn't cook but makes do with a hot plate & microwave to warm stuff up. He said maybe I should move back & do the cooking  .   .   .   .  but  it's a pretty small house with stairs to get in, stairs to the bedroom & stairs out to the back where the clothes line & freezer is. The fridge & stove need hauling away & the dryer isn't hooked up. I'd still have to climb over a tub to shower & he turned the living room into a gym. Gee, maybe we both should move! I should get the 'Got JUNK' folks to haul away the big stuff for him anyway just to get it off his mind.

Back on the Needles - I cast on another sock!! Isn't that amazing?? Well, I found some Kroy in a muted rainbow. It matches how I feel these days. A muted Rainbow. I'm not depressed or elated or miserable & neither is my sock yarn. I guess you could say it's cautiously optimistic yarn. It's 4 ply but feels lighter .  .  .  .   Since most of my yarn/fibre is already in bins, I'm almost packed!!