And So It Begins

This morning, I got a proactive little fire lit under my butt and secured a storage locker and a mover. I'm now referring to my imminent relocation as The Big Move of 2011, and all systems are go.

I reserved a 10' by 15' storage locker (at a very reasonable rate, even) and booked a mover. Both of these things are scheduled for August 31, so August 31 is Moving Day.

And August 15 finds me making lists, checking them twice, and in general making a huge mess of my tiny apartment as I start packing. As of this moment, Grandma's china, my tea cups and my London Shrine are packed. I've already used about 40 square feet of bubble wrap (this is not me being cute, I really have--I've gone through one 36 square foot roll and started another), several yards of foam sheets for dishes, and about a quarter of a roll of packing tape. All of these things are secure in two large-ish boxes, but I'm still able to pick them up on my own if need be. My hutch looks so sad.

The next step is to pack all of Millie and Harley's things. I want to bleach out the litter boxes, wash their dishes, and get everything in a box. They are safe at my parents' house, a bit bewildered, I'm sure, but in the long run, better off. Moving is stressful for cats, and therefore stressful for cat moms, because honestly, I do not need to be shooing Harley out of each and every box, or tripping on two needy felines when I have an armful of dishes or some such thing.

My charity pile is growing. As I go through all the nooks and crannies, I find things I'd forgotten I had, and things I haven't used in the three years I've been here. I'm pretty ruthless in getting rid of stuff. There's sentimentality, and there's hauling all this crap around, you know?

I'm starting to set aside books that won't go in the storage locker. This fall will bring the urge to begin my annual re-read of the Harry Potter books, and I'm always happy to re-read a Bill Bryson or Tony Horwitz book. I've managed to cull out a lot of DVDs, as all of those will go with me to Mom and Dad's house.

It's all coming together. The next two weeks promise to be busy. In addition to all of the normal moving stuff, I have one last Summer Sing with Stockton Chorale, a day trip to Tahoe to see my friend Karen from New York (yay!) and on the 29th, my first rehearsal with Sacramento Choral Society. I'll be working out every day, too, to keep the stress levels low. Before I know it, I'll be lounging on my bed at Mom and Dad's house, watching TV and thinking, "Wow, I live here now."

The really, really good news is that I'm bringing my own computer to their house so that there can be no angst between Mom and I when we both really really need the computer and have to wait for the other. Besides, the computer at their house is in their bedroom, so when they go to bed at night, I have to be finished, etc. etc. My room will be crowded, but I don't mind as it means I have my computer, my piano (yes, my piano) and a working TV and DVD player. It's all good.

So there you have it. I may try to sit down and put up some Monday Music and Wordless Wednesday posts in my queue, but honestly, it's not a top priority at the moment. Those will resume when things have settled down a little.