three days and counting

Do I really need small appliances? I don’t even drink plain coffee, so why can’t I just throw out the coffeemaker? I mean…that’s why they have Starbucks, right? It just seems so much easier than packing it. And let’s talk about toast…how often do we really make toast? Can’t I just light a fire and hold the bread over it? Do you have any idea how much room a toaster takes up in a box? And while we’re talking boxes…sure they’re cheap, but even at a dollar a piece they add up. Quickly.

So, the closer we get to moving day, the bigger my toss pile is getting. I’ve already sold my leather sleigh bed (cuz who wants to move that?) And I know I said I wanted to keep all forty-two of those wine glasses, but I’m thinking it might not be so bad to drink straight from the bottle. I don’t entertain that much anyway. In fact…I barely have any real friends (other than you…and you know who you are.)

How am I ever going to be ready in three days?

Maybe I should order a few pizzas and invite all my readers to come pack with me…hey, it could happen.

Until the next time…I’ll be weeding through the rest of my stuff.

is that a banana or a broomstick in your pocket?

Packing.

There doesn’t seem to be any escape from it. It was on the agenda from the first moment my eyes opened this morning until just a few minutes ago, when my feet screamed in protest.

Well…except for the time we went out for lunch. And the time we went out for dinner. Oh, and the time we went out for ice cream. Because packing makes you really hungry.

My husband’s youngest daughter has been here this weekend, so despite her pleas to be spared, we put her to work packing a few things today, too. Of course, there’s always a trade off. And the trade off this time was the constant stream of fun facts Mady shared with us while we stuffed boxes.

Mady’s favorite phrase is, “Hey, did you know…?”

“Hey, did you know a Hippo’s sweat is red?”

“Yes, I knew that,” I said.

“You did not!”

“Yes I did. Because, yeah…I am smarter than a fifth grader.” Or in Mady’s case, an eighth grader.

“Hey, did you know the human head weighs eight pounds?”

Has this kid ever heard of Jerry Maguire?

“Yes, I did.”

“You did not!”

“Yes, I did. I was in school for more a lot longer than you have been.” I rolled my eyes even though I wouldn’t have known that fact without the movies. But I wasn’t saying anything if she didn’t know that.

She went back to folding the curtains I asked her to pack…with less precision than my OCD would have liked, but my husband gave me that look when I considered showing her how to fold them…again.

Then she started in with the trivia again.

“Hey, did you know bananas are the reproductive organ for the whole tree?”

I sat quietly, because I wasn’t sure if this was a trick question. Do you have any idea how many jokes I could come up with using the words banana and reproduction?

At least a dozen!

“So are apples, pears, plumbs and peaches…all seed bearing fruits,” my husband interrupted, and I exhaled, relieved to have my thoughts stopped before they had a chance to get out.

“Bananas have seeds…you just don’t notice them,” I added. “And it’s the birds and the bees that spread the seeds around.” I was trying to be clever…but it was lost on them. They were too busy delving into the in-depth study of fruit and reproduction.

My eyes glazed over while I packed…still stuck with that original image of a banana in my head.

“Hey Daddy…how do you know all this stuff?” Mady asked Mike. “No matter what topic we talk about, you just seem to know everything about it. It’s like you have the book in your head or something.”

“Well, I’m much older than you,” my husband explained. “And don’t forget, I’m studying enviromental sciences.”

Not to be out done, I tossed in, “Hey, I know stuff too. Just ask me anything about Bewitched!”

Yeah…they didn’t care. In fact, I don’t think Mady’s ever heard of Bewitched. And if you ask me, that’s just sad.

Until the next time…I’ll be resting up for one more day of packing.

I think I'd pack my head if it wasn't attached

I love moving. I do. It’s an adventure. A chance to decorate…and shop. But with moving comes packing. And I hate packing.

Have I mentioned how much I hate packing? If I haven’t said it enough times, I’ll say it again. I hate packing.

I mean…I really. Hate. Packing.

We’ve started the final countdown to moving day. And now that Mom is officially out of the woods with her illness, I can finally take a deep breath and get down to business. The business of…yep, you’ve got it…packing!

And there’s nothing like packing to unearth how much crap you actually own. And I don’t even mean the sort of crap you agonize over tossing out. I haven’t even gotten to that yet. I’m talking about the crap you really can’t bear to part with. The sentimental momentos like baby pictures, hand-knitted blankets made by Mom, the artwork from kindergarten, and other assorted items that don’t contribute to the day to day functions of life, but must be preserved, nonetheless.

And as far as the day to day items, I’ve already filled two huge boxes with linens. And these are just the linens we aren’t currently using. Those, I’ll worry about later. Like the clothes.

Until then, I’ve packed the heirloom china, and the everyday dishes, but I haven’t even touched the glassware. I discovered when we moved here that I have forty-two wine glasses. Forty-two! I don’t think I can drink forty-two glasses of wine by myself.

I can’t even get through one!

Maybe I’ll tackle the glasses tomorrow. Or maybe I’ll sort through the old magazines and DVDs and decide what’s going and what’s not. And hey, maybe I’ll even paint something.

It’s never too late to decorate…right?

Until the next time…I’ll be careful not to pack my head.

Ok...who put all this stuff in my house?

Time to take my head out of the clouds…cloud white that is. I was looking at paint chips as I reached my front steps and promptly tripped onto the porch.

This was the highlight of my day.

My house is beginning to look like an episode of Hoarders as I pull everything out of the cabinets, drawers, closets, etc to pack. I’ve unearthed assorted knick knacks, books, games, Christmas decorations, magazines, DVDs, not to mentioned all the other things I don’t even remember buying.

I mean…when did I buy purple and orange paint? And what on earth was I planning to do with it? It’s like I went through a comic book villian stage and completely blocked it out. These are the strange things people find at their local Goodwill. I guess I can find solace in the fact that someone will be delighted to find orange and purple paint samples one day soon.

And speaking of Goodwill…my husband has given me an ultimatum. I need to part with at least half of the magazines I’ve discovered. Half. Do you have any idea how many magazines he wants me to throw away?

Oh, hundreds at least. 

But I wasn’t done with those! They’re filled with really good decorating ideas. You never know when I’m going to redecorate my dining room using orange and purple paint splatters…oh wait. Never mind. I can get rid of that one.

And maybe the Marvel Comics Scene It game. I was awful at that. Oh, and the stained glass Christmas candle holders? Yeah, I probably won’t use those again. And I never once used the snowman muffin tins. Or the four bolts of fabric that were on sale but match absolutely nothing in my house…those can go too.

But do not touch the over one hundred white paint swatches scattered about every flat surface throughout my house. I’m definitely not finished with those.

But not to worry. I’ll find the perfect white paint yet. In fact, I’m almost there. Just a few more days.

Right…I’ll keep you posted.

Until the next time…I’ll be packing!