Thursday, July 23, 2009
Moving
The day arrived much too soon and there they were, four movers at the front door. The chief mover was a strong, compact Israeli who walked back and forth in front of all the boxes shaking his head. I approached him to ask about the piano and whether it would be placed on the truck before everything else. “We’re not talking about the piano, Lady”, he said. “You got too many boxes”. Paul had packed a bazillion boxes six months earlier. I had no idea what was in them and have just recently learned that a significant percentage contained stuff the girls had saved since kindergarten (Liza saved things from even earlier… I think she snuck souvenirs out of the maternity hospital). One box contained cactus clippings. Several had remnants of old frames and chairs. I had estimated 60 boxes and there were over 100 in the garage alone.
“That’s fine,” I told the man. “We’ll pay the difference”. But he was not content with that. “Your estimate is based on 60 boxes. You got too many.” We went back and forth for a while on this and it became quite heated until he understood that his company was released from the “binding” quote. The process moved forward.
Four hours later, the movers were almost done and the men from 1-800-GOTJUNK? showed up and started carrying out stuff to the left … loads of cardboard, broken plastic and old blinds, while the movers continued loading the rest of our precious belongings from the right. Neil and Paul were still wrapping mirrors and paintings at the end and somehow it all got done with the JUNK people sweeping the garage clean as they departed.
It was very quiet in the house. We said goodbye to it as we have five homes before and went to Diana and Neil’s for the night. They took us to a restaurant where Paul nearly dropped his head onto his plate of ribs, he was so tired.
The next day, refreshed and excited, we rode with Neil to Phoenix where we had the pleasant surprise of an upgrade to 1st class for our trip to BWI. This was Daisy’s first airplane ride. She was in a little carrier and had been sedated about halfway to Phoenix, per the vet’s recommendation. Once on board, she was placed under the seat and she started growling through her medicated state and scratching incessantly at her carrier to get out. Some of the passengers who had actually paid for 1st began looking around for the source of the noise. Paul was asleep already and Diana and I started whispering and signing so the dog would settle down which she eventually did.
Late that night we arrived in Baltimore and began a mini-vacation with Diana, driving down to the Chesapeake to a VRBO rental that turned out to be very peaceful and relaxing. It was over those next few days that we settled back into the rhythm of the East and the pattern of summer days we had almost forgotten. We rose very early and sat out on the porch where the music of birds was like a reception party given by old and dear friends. Daisy was enthralled. She stood on her hind legs at one point and followed a bumblebee across the yard; all she knew in Tucson were geckos and an occasional tortoise. She also learned how to pee on the grass and followed the scents of other dogs who had visited before her.
On Thursday we drove to my sister Patricia’s in northern VA and prepared to say goodbye to Diana the following day. The evening was filled with laughter as Pat and Paul, the two crazy Geminis, bounced off each other’s humor and we enjoyed Lloyd’s fabulous cooking. My sister Doreen helped to make us feel at home and we stayed up lots later than we did in Tucson days.
On Friday we brought Diana to Dulles and bid her adieu for a while. I am plotting to get her out again within a few months and hopefully for good when she finishes her latest degree at the end of 2010.
Since she left, we have had all our energies focused on our home-to-be in Harpers Ferry. Here is what it looks like.
Later…
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Last night I dreamed you had a lot of nice neighbors. I think it's because neil and i watched 2 hours of HGTV prior to bed. My mosquito bites are recently a little less itchy.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a move! I have always missed the changing seasons, but going back full-time has never been on my plate. I am with friends on Buzzards Bay after spending time on Suttons Island off of Bar Harbour. I return to Miami in mid-August (after spending a week in Prov & Newport). In late Aug I leave for three weeks in Venice to shoot and produce a DVD there as I did with Rome: Caput Mundi. Hugs to all...
ReplyDeleteFollowing your dreams is such a cool thing. I am very happy for you, and I hope your moving plans go smoothly. The new house looks fantastic! It will be odd going to Tucson, knowing you're not there anymore. I have such good memories of festive occasions at your homes there and here. Amye
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