I am learning the error of my ways

As I am packing everything and getting ready to move to the boat, I noticed that I have a LOT of stuff that is really pointless in having. Of course, you might notice the same in your house if you packed up your entire house into a boat. The main cabin area will be as big as our back porch... with a stove, counter, fridge, sink and dinette in it. It is going to make RV's look luxuriously spacious. It's going to be one of those moments where I step foot inside and say "Holy FUCK! why do I have all this stuff?" and then promptly unpack and get rid of more stuff. But at least I am getting the idea down pat.

To help you visualize what this entails, run to Lowe's and by 3 boxes for dishes (medium sized boxes), 2 for books (smaller boxes) and 2 large boxes that are for clothes (Large boxes). Now, everything you are going to keep (minus clothes) has to fit within those 7 boxes. That's not just YOUR stuff. That is the kids stuff too! Everyone! Now, we have a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom mobile home with a storage shed outside and we've lived her for 7 years... 8 years? I don't remember... but we don't declutter. Actually, we're packrats. Actually, packrats think we need help. We have STUFF and we're now having to decide what goes with us and what goes to the thrift shop. I can not tell you the van loads we have taken out of the house... and it's still rather full!

This could be my best experience yet. You should see what I am getting rid of. Almost everything. Yes, even the collection of books. There is this neat thing called a library. San Diego has 34 of them. I think I'll be okay. I did keep the Heinlein books though. I can't quite part with everything. And my Coke bottle written in Hebrew. That stays too... oh yea, and my sudoku books too. Those stay. And the little knit pink booty, it's too cute. Besides it is small. And I made it. Okay, so I have too much stuff still, but eventually I will have it together. I am working on learning what I REALLY need and what I want. And actually all I REALLY need is one outfit and my ATM card. But we're not getting that drastic.

But as I am sorting, I am starting to wonder what the hell I was thinking when I saved all this stuff. What the hell am I going to do with 3 boxes of Montanian newspapers? When am I every going to read all the file folders (12 to be exact) of emails, letters and notes that people sent me. I read them once... am I really going to need them again? Why do I save all the odd socks? Why did I save pizza boxes (hey, they were clean!) and velcro that came off the shoes and why do I have an entire drawer full of nuts, bolts and screws? What am I going to do with all this stuff? Did I really plan on using all that? I mean, really, how many people have use for a box of pens that dried up? And why, oh WHY did we save that refridgerator compressor like some prize? Sure, each thing has a story and it's all really fascinating, I'm sure, but we really don't NEED this stuff. And I have appliances in the kitchen I forgot I had. Even worst, I have some in there that I didn't even KNOW I had! Where did they come from anyway?

Well, the whole point of this is that we are still busily (is that a word?) packing and cleaning and I am finding it really silly about all the stuff we kept because we might use it someday.

Anyone need 3 left shoes?

It's Wednesday Morning!

Good morning everyone! The days feel LONG. I woke up this morning and it feels like Friday already. The more I pack, the less I feel like I have done. I think that is because hubby is clearing out the office and every box I have packed and put in the bedroom under the wall shelf is replaced by another 2 boxes of computer stuff. At least it's organized.

 

Today I am going to be emptying out the boys bedroom, packing the kitchen, and getting the rest of our stuff to the bedroom. First I am going to load the dishwasher and clean up the kitchen because without routines for morning and evening it getting hard to keep up with.

 

The boys have been working hard to help out, thankfully *knocks on wood* and are sorting through their toys and stuff they want to keep. We sleep good at night from all the work we're doing. Yesterday Mendel 2.0 ended up with a headache and wasn't feeling so great, so I sent him to bed with some Motrin. By the time I got back from the trash run, he was feeling much better. Thankfully it wasn't anything major. Just needed to rest a bit.

 

Off to make breakfast now. I am going to make extra's from breakfast so we can have a quick easy snack later in the day. It helps us to have the quick easy snack.

Dotchi

AGH! I am stressing!

I started stressing today thinking it was about 2 days away. I have to repack the boxes b/c I misunderstood the hubby when he was explaining what to pack and where and such. I started stressing out and was complaining about all the stuff we have to do and how we'll never be done... hubby was like "dear, it is Tuesday. Chill." I thought it was Thursday! Hahaha! Okay, I am calm now. But still upset about the repacking. Nothing too big though, we've rid ourselves of one medium box of stuff from it. So that is good.

 

Our help never showed up. I wasn't really expecting it but hubby really thought they'd come help, especially since he's offering to pay $50 a day per person. I guess the unemployed have the luxury of being picky about the work they take. But he really thought we'd have help. I know better. It has been this way since we moved here, with the occasional exception, and I wasn't holding my breath waiting for help to show up.

 

Hubby has been working on the house repairs and I have been trying to figure out where to work first and trying to get it all done without getting disorganized in the process. It's not working LOL. I need to figure something else out. Right now I am working on packing into boxes for "stays on boat with us" and "goes into storage for later use". Man, when you limit the number of boxes you can have, you'd be amazed at what you can get rid of and what you REALLY want to keep.

 

Well, I have the boys cleaning out their toys and someone is going to figure out I am in here hiding any minute now. So off I go! That is my update for now. Anyone want to come help? We pay $50 a day (8 hour days with breaks).

Dotchi

OH MY GOD! I AM FREAKING OUT!

No, my caps lock didn't stick! I am starting to panic! First, it feels like "oh, it's JUST Tuesday. Wow, feels like it has been a week already." Then I am like "AGH! We're never going to get done!" Then I smoke, and I calm down some.

The house has three pages worth of lists to get done. We have most of the stuff! but I don't see how it is going to get all done. Thankfully the renters are happy enough to fix anything we leave, but we would feel better knowing it was done.

Where is hired help when you need them?

But I think we can still get most of the stuff done. I thought someone was supposed to be over to help yesterday but they never showed. I'll see if they show up today. I'll almost bet money that we'll be doing this alone the whole way through because, for the most part, we can't get help here if we beg for it. Heck, we're offering to pay and guess who showed up yesterday! No one. What do you have to do to get help in this area!?

Hubby is home... quick run down of the days

Saturday dh got home and we picked him up at the airport. The boys were thrilled to see him. I was so happy to hug him again... it was just one of those military like photos. Kids running to hug dad everyone hugging each other... only he wasn't in uniform. LOL After that we went to Cracker Barrell to eat dinner. That was yummy. When we got home, I finished sorting the clothes with Miles help and then we sent the kids to bed. Miles kept getting up asking to help with packing (can we say EXCITED!) and hubby finally said "Mom and I would like to have some Mom and Dad time" and I wasn't there for this but dh said Miles looked traumatized by the thought and exiting stage left at warp 9. LMAO And that night after the kids fell asleep, let's just say... it was GOOD!

So then Sunday we woke up late. We drove to Harbor Frieght and spent oodles of money to fix up the house with. They had to call in his check since the system flagged it. We're guessing it's b/c that series of checks is always written in California and now here's one showing up in TN. It was embarrassing. Stopped the whole line, everyone looking at us. I could've died. But I'd rather they do that than to cash our checks all over the country while we're still figuring out that a check book is gone!

Went to Raccoon Moutain to visit Aunt Shiela, Uncle Russ, Aunt Rosie Aunt Sandy, Aunt Tia, Great Grandpa and Nana. That was nice. They kept asking where my shoes were... aren't flip flops shoes? I think they were more impressed that I even HAD shoes on! Then Sandy, Tia, and I sat outside talking and smoking while Lil Mendel rolled down the hill repeatedly and Miles ended up joining him. Shiela came out to chat with us and then the rest called to us and said Grandpa was leaving. Wow, that was quick. After Aunt Rosie, Sandy, Tia, and Great Grandpa left, hubby went to fix the brake lights on the van. It was a fuse, which means I have been driving without brake lights for MONTHS! Comfy thought.

Then we took Nana to Sticky Fingers. I highly recommend the sweet BBQ sauce and the whiskey BBQ sauce. Dh says he tried all and liked them. He said the hot sauce isn't as hot as my napalm chili, but then then too, you can't decide if my chili is good or not because the taste buds don't survive the first bite LOL. I love this restaurant! Forget napkins, you get TOWELS. And at the end of your very delicious meal, they bring you warmed wet wipes to wash your hands off... I actually needed it too! It was VERY good.

Then after hugging Nana and waving as she drove off, we went to Sears and got Lil Mendel a pair of pants. He is NOT the shopping kind. He was about to have a nervous breakdown in the dressing room and lamenting about "not another pair of pants!" and flat out REFUSED to try on anymore. So I said that was fine. Next pair of pants would be hand sewn by me in ANY pattern I chose and it'll be the elastic wasteband kind (he hates those) and he WOULD wear them or else. So, he now has a pair of size TWELVE (my gosh he grew!!!) Levi's jeans. Hopefully they'll outlast him. I did sit down with him in the dressing room and let him have a moment on my lap for a big hug and understanding of how stressful this must be to him. I didn't want to completely mean. Miles got a pair of shoes for the boat, white soles so it won't mark. He's in a size 10 in mens shoes! ACK!

So then we headed to Wal-Mart (sorry, Jan) for the last bits of what we needed since Lowe's was closed. After we finished, I bought ONE more pack of cigarettes while hubby headed to the van. I kept setting off the alarm. First they ran the pack of cigarettes over the deactivating thingy and the alarm went off again when I went out. So I ended up showing them that there was nothing in my purse (they kept giving each other sideways glances. I didn't want the police to be called), I emptied my pockets (man, I need to clean these pockets out) and we STILL couldn't figure out what it was setting off the alarms. We think it may have been the Byetta pen. Not sure. I was SO embarrassed. Even more so than at Harbor Freight. I felt like a criminal and everyone at the lines closest to the door were starring at me like they were waiting to see Grandma Betty and her trainee body slam me and hog tie me until the police showed up. I think we decided on the Byetta pen and I walked out setting off the alarm again. I was quite humiliated. I remember why I hate Wal-Mart!

Then we headed home. The day was shot since we spent it all out on the town. The plan of throwing everything on eBay just went out the window. But that's another rant for another day. We ended up fixing a light socket and few other things and going to bed totally drained of any life force. So much for extra money.

I slept good last night. I hear hubby stirring around so I better get off his computer LOL