(no subject)
Jun. 15th, 2007 05:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
katallisonI should, at the outset, warn y'all that for the next few months this LJ is about to become The Journal Of OMG I Am Uprooting My Life and Moving It Halfway Across The Country OMG OMG OMG. There shall be NO hard feelings toward anyone who bails out of the friendslist fearing that all this is really going to be kind of obsessional and tedious, because dudes, it so IS.
This week's hyperventilation is on the topic of My stuff. Please god let me figure out some way to move it that will not COST THE EARTH. Which is, actually, kind of funny because I don't HAVE that much stuff, certainly not compared to most normal people of my age. I went around this evening and measured, and did a bunch of computations, and I think I'm at around 400 cubic feet of stuff I will probably move, whereas your average household appears to be at least twice that.
What is aggravating about this is that I'd really like to go with one of those we-drop-it-off, you-pack-it, we-move-it, pod-type units, but they seem to average slightly under 400 cubic feet--which is to say, I might conceivably be able to jam all my crap in one, but it'd be safer to get two, except that vastly increases the cost and hassle. The pod-units appeal because I'm not going to be trying to rent an apartment out there before moving, but will rather crash for a month or so with my friends M and J, and hence need to have my stuff stored, and having it already packed into a pod would simplify this. But I think now I'm going to go with Broadway Express for the actual move (they are highly recommended on the movingscams.com website), and have them put everything into a storage unit in Seattle, and then sort things out from there in the fullness of time.
But I still want to do a really massive purge before I begin packing. Goals about which I have some clarity include:
--books: divest myself of anything that is easily obtainable through the library system and that I do not need to have on hand for frequent reference (which would mean getting rid of about 75% of the books I own).
--music: rip all CDs to my hard drive, back up the hard drive, sell the CDs.
--kitchen: give away all cooking gadgets that I don't really use oftener than a few times a year.
--clothes: if it doesn't fit, it is GONE.
--roll-top desk: this is a beautiful antique that belonged to my mother, and I would love to still have it in my life, but I really would be fearful about moving it across country, because it's very old and brittle, so I think I'm just going to give it to my brother instead.
Then there are things about which I'm more undecided:
--sofa: I kind of like my sofa, but it *is* twenty-plus years old, and *dirty*, and felted with ancient cat hair, all of which would argue for dump rather than move, but on the other hand, new sofas are damned expensive.
--exercise bike: I do like it, I do use it, but it's *heavy* and *big* and it probably doesn't make sense to move it.
--big heavy winter coat: I shouldn't ever *need* it again (YAY!!!) unless I come back to visit Minnesota in the winter--like, say, at Christmas? It's really bulky, but I guess I could use it to pad breakables or whatever.
And, um -- HOLY CRAP OMG I'm moving!!! As I have wanted to do for the past FOUR YEARS! (*flail flail flail*)
This week's hyperventilation is on the topic of My stuff. Please god let me figure out some way to move it that will not COST THE EARTH. Which is, actually, kind of funny because I don't HAVE that much stuff, certainly not compared to most normal people of my age. I went around this evening and measured, and did a bunch of computations, and I think I'm at around 400 cubic feet of stuff I will probably move, whereas your average household appears to be at least twice that.
What is aggravating about this is that I'd really like to go with one of those we-drop-it-off, you-pack-it, we-move-it, pod-type units, but they seem to average slightly under 400 cubic feet--which is to say, I might conceivably be able to jam all my crap in one, but it'd be safer to get two, except that vastly increases the cost and hassle. The pod-units appeal because I'm not going to be trying to rent an apartment out there before moving, but will rather crash for a month or so with my friends M and J, and hence need to have my stuff stored, and having it already packed into a pod would simplify this. But I think now I'm going to go with Broadway Express for the actual move (they are highly recommended on the movingscams.com website), and have them put everything into a storage unit in Seattle, and then sort things out from there in the fullness of time.
But I still want to do a really massive purge before I begin packing. Goals about which I have some clarity include:
--books: divest myself of anything that is easily obtainable through the library system and that I do not need to have on hand for frequent reference (which would mean getting rid of about 75% of the books I own).
--music: rip all CDs to my hard drive, back up the hard drive, sell the CDs.
--kitchen: give away all cooking gadgets that I don't really use oftener than a few times a year.
--clothes: if it doesn't fit, it is GONE.
--roll-top desk: this is a beautiful antique that belonged to my mother, and I would love to still have it in my life, but I really would be fearful about moving it across country, because it's very old and brittle, so I think I'm just going to give it to my brother instead.
Then there are things about which I'm more undecided:
--sofa: I kind of like my sofa, but it *is* twenty-plus years old, and *dirty*, and felted with ancient cat hair, all of which would argue for dump rather than move, but on the other hand, new sofas are damned expensive.
--exercise bike: I do like it, I do use it, but it's *heavy* and *big* and it probably doesn't make sense to move it.
--big heavy winter coat: I shouldn't ever *need* it again (YAY!!!) unless I come back to visit Minnesota in the winter--like, say, at Christmas? It's really bulky, but I guess I could use it to pad breakables or whatever.
And, um -- HOLY CRAP OMG I'm moving!!! As I have wanted to do for the past FOUR YEARS! (*flail flail flail*)
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(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-15 11:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-15 11:22 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-15 11:21 pm (UTC)As far as the couch goes, well, yes, couches are expensive. Couches are also expensive to move. The question is, once you've found a place to live, will it be more fun for you to shop for a new couch, an exciting new piece of furniture to celebrate your new life, or will it be more fun to have your old beloved couch delivered to you, complete with cat hair, but beloved and familiar?
As far as the exercise bike goes, a) how expensive are exercise bikes? b) will you have a gym membership at your new place? c) will you want to be exercising outside more now that you're away from winter (although you will have the rain to deal with) and thus would be better served investing in a regular bike-type bike?
Also, OMG yes check and double check and triple check on the movers, because you don't want to get screwed. Do you have a moving allowance from the new job? Do you have enough willing and able friends to actually pack and load one of those cubes? If you can find a way to find a place quickly enough, it is cheaper to pay movers to move your stuff (and load and unload it) than to drive a rental or store it when you are talking a cross-country move.
And verily I say unto you: YOU CAN DO IT.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-15 11:31 pm (UTC)The movers seem to be pretty rock-solid, as far as I can tell. Since I don't actually HAVE a new job yet, I'll be paying for this all out of pocket, which is why I'm not just going for the full-service move; I can hire some day-labor guys on this end to help load up the truck, and in Seattle, I'm counting on my friend M. to recruit some of his bar buddies to carry things in exchange for beers. (*g*)
And verily I say unto you: YOU CAN DO IT.
Believe me, I am *clasping these words to my bosom.* And thank you so much!!
(no subject)
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Date: 2007-06-15 11:22 pm (UTC)When I came to Chicago (on the trail of my father's killers), I used one of those cross-country movers that moved my stuff and other people's stuff all in one big truck. The downside is, you may get your stuff on the day they say...or you may get it two weeks later. It depwnds on when they leave, which depends on when the truck is full.
Good luck, and again, YAY!!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-16 01:04 am (UTC)Luckily, timing is very much not of the essence here; I probably won't have a place for the stuff to be moved into for at least a month.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-15 11:27 pm (UTC)Two things - First, re: couches, I had great success finding a used-but-in-good-condition couch on Craigslist (a sleeper bed, nonetheless) so if you're willing to go that route, it can be done well and would likely be cheaper (or at least less hassle) than moving your old couch. And second, re: moving companies, do not under any circumstances use Starving Students. We used them to move up here and they were abominable. Terribly service, the worst customer handling of questions/complaints ever. I got into a yelling match with one of their representatives which was precipitated by her. So not worth it. I warn everyone I know about how awful they were.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-15 11:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
From:(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-15 11:29 pm (UTC)Anyway! Yay for moving!
And here's the thing. If you're renting a truck, then you can throw everything that fits in it, which means the bike is fine. But a couch that you say is old and dirty? Heh. Send it to the cornfield!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-15 11:39 pm (UTC)Unfortunately, I have nothing in the way of helpful advice. When I moved to Chicago from NYC, I shipped most of my stuff via UPS. I...don't recommend it. LOL.
(no subject)
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Date: 2007-06-15 11:49 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-16 01:07 am (UTC)Move
Date: 2007-06-15 11:56 pm (UTC)My rule of thumb is fairly simple for whether to keep or get rid of stuff that I use but doesn't have emotional value/attachment when moving: Can it be replaced? If yes, will it cost more to replace than to move? If an item can be replaced (new or used) and replacement is cheaper than moving, then the item doesn't get packed.
But I've found that because I use stuff until it wears out, trying to replace an older model with whatever is currently available often results in an outrageous price jump. As a result, replacement can often be more expensive than moving things for me - even on a long haul move.
Re the winter coat, use it to pad stuff for the move. Don't dump it. You never know when you'll be travelling into cold areas. Not just back to Minnesota but likely also Canada (assuming that you got the Pacific NW job). Heck, even after I moved from Michigan to the desert southwest, I used my cold weather gear when going up to Flagstaff or the Canyon in winter. And didn't it take you forever to find a winter coat that you liked? I seem to remember reading about that, though perhaps I'm mixing up journals.
And sofa prices are pretty wide ranging. You can find a variety of sofas on sale from decent makers starting at $300. Granted, $300 is a lot of money in my book, but it's a far cry from $3500 for an all leather, high-end sofa suite that seats twelve.
But really, the important thing is that you're moving - and that's something you've wanted to do for a long time. So congrats again, and best wishes for a safe and uneventful journey.
Re: Move
Date: 2007-06-16 12:21 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-15 11:57 pm (UTC)Conversely, if you need to flee to a quiet place and NOT think about OMG PACKING AND UPHEAVAL HOLY SHIT MOVING GAAAAAH, just head thisaway. *g*
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-16 12:22 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-15 11:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-16 12:22 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-16 12:02 am (UTC)2. Dump the couch. Couches are HORRIBLE to move around. Donate it to your local college students and get something lovely and new when the perfect couch strikes you, which it will. Until then, you can get a futon for seating. I moved a loveseat, and I really wish I hadn't.
3. Also dump the exercise bike. They're crazy bulky unless you can disassemble it down to flat. Again--I moved an exercise bike and I really wish I hadn't.
4. Keep the winter coat! If nothing else, you can look at it and cackle at how cold you aren't. You're right, use it to pad a vase or something.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-16 12:23 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-16 12:18 am (UTC)Congratulations on getting the job. I am so happy for you!
OMG! We will miss you so much!
Oh neat. Stuff to pick through.
Darn! I was really looking forward to introducing you to all of the folks at the dog park whne you got that greyhound you were thinking about getting.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-16 12:28 pm (UTC)And, um ... I haven't actually gotten a job yet. (*g*) I've got some applications out, and am basically trusting that my lifelong good job luck will stay with me here. (Also, I can *always* temp, if necessary.)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-16 12:24 am (UTC)there's lots of work ahead of you, but it is survivable and you'll be so happy once you've arrived and can begin to assemble a new place and life. I know you've wanted to move to the NW for ages, and it's great that it's finally happening!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-16 12:29 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2007-06-16 12:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-16 01:20 am (UTC)When we moved from CA to TN, N and I got rid of about 30% of what we owned. When we moved from TN to MS, we got rid of another 50%.
But it just keeps building up. Crap and more crap and more crap.
Keep your stiff liquor where you can reach it.
**empathy**
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-16 12:38 pm (UTC)BEST ADVICE EVER. God, this *used* to be much easier, because I used to move every 1-2 years, and so I never accumulated much crap. But now? I've been in this place since *1990*, and oh my lord, the stuff in my basement ... it breaks my BRAIN.
Of course, this also *used* to be so much easier because I *used* to have a nice vigorous young body, with the strong back and healthy knees and so on. (*sigh*) But the tradeoff, of course, is that I am no longer DEAD BROKE as I used to be in those days, and I can hire nice vigorous young men to do the heavy lifting (and enjoy the scenery as a bonus).
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-16 01:43 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-16 12:39 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-16 02:27 am (UTC)But did I miss a post about the new job?
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-16 12:41 pm (UTC)And thanks so much for the good advice and good wishes! Soon, soon, I shall be heading west!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-16 02:27 am (UTC)And when-ish are you moving? I may have to finally try and get my ass up that way before you go.
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Date: 2007-06-16 01:37 pm (UTC)