Category Archives: moving

A Moving Tale (2) ~ Early Afternoon Thoughts

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Previous post about moving –>here<– I got the keys to see the apartment, and upon entering ~ I actually loved it. There was a much larger living room, an actual hallway to the bedroom (Le Mutt would enjoy the running room) and, of course, the washer/dryer connections off the kitchen . . . just right to clean and cook, right? The patio was larger and only needed some weedkiller for the forest primeval that was attempting to grow there. All seemed to be well and what I was looking for in living space.

Now came the difficult part, actually making the decision to move. I weighed all the options, made innumerable lists comparing the pros and cons . . . and finally decided that I would once again move. Again, it was only 150 yards down the way. . . and down a short flight of stairs into the apartment or down cement steps OR a slight grassy incline into the porch. Shouldn’t be much of a problem.

I had decided that there was no way I was going to pack and move myself. Somewhere I felt there was one of the moving companies that would pack, move and unpack. That was a correct assumption, but you would have thought I was moving into the White House based on the conversations and prices I was quoted. I was stunned to find out what the charges would be just to MOVE things that were already packed. So now I was faced with doing it on my own ~ so to speak. While I was contemplating this turn of events, I got into a discussion with my daughter. My son-in-law, in order to add extra money into their personal stimulus plan had been doing a number of “side-jobs” on the weekends. I decided that I would hire them for the move. . . and pay them quite well for it.

This proved to be one of the best decisions about the move I could have made. I decided on moving the last week of December. The move would occur the 24th of January. My neighbors were planning to make their move to a different complex the same weekend, so we would be able to share/commiserate during the ordeal of boxes and dumping and hauling and sorting.

During the week of the move the weather reports were quite typical for Houston. . . in other words, no one really knew WHAT the weather was going to be like during the weekend. Of course, there is always the chance of rain or storms ~ but nothing such as that seemed to be on any one’s mind. The day of the move was actually quite cool, overcast, light wind and some rain was forecast at some point during the day. My daughter, Son-in-law and the 2 grand kids showed up ready to begin the day . . . I was actually ready to begin it myself. Very shortly. however, I was banished sent to the new apartment to oversee the arrivals and to place and unpack them as well.

What my Son-in-law has done was hire four men that work on his construction sites to come and do the lifting, hauling and placing. This meant that he could arrange, box and get things finalized (with the rest of his families help) and they would simply “hoof” it over to me. Talk about an incredible time-saver and energy saver! Very shortly furniture, boxes, tables, beds and all the etc. began to arrive to be placed and/or unpacked. What the moving companies had told me would take two days (!?!) was accomplished in a few hours.

The best moment of the entire move was the arrival of Bonzai (who had been in his large crate the entire time to prevent him from trying to help/hinder the move!) I’m old(er) enough to remember the spectacle of Elizabeth Taylor’s entrance into Rome in the movie Cleopatra. The dog arrived much as she did – with one guy on each of the corners of the crate. They carried him through the complex and down into his new kingdom. We were all laughing but I can report that he was “not amused.”

He was even less amused when Daughter, Son-in-Law and grand kids all went to dinner and left him behind.

So now I had moved into my new space without too much difficulty (only one slight damage to a piece of furniture) and I was awaiting the quick connection of the phone, Internet and TV.

—that ordeal will follow . . . and it was an ordeal!

A Moving Tale ~ Early Afternoon Thoughts

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Le Mutt (officially called Bonzai – because the first day he was around, he had the startling habit of throwing himself off furniture ) and I were quite comfortable in my apartment. While not an enormous space, it was comfortable and had a view of the Bayou unmatched except at the very expensive restaurant down the road. As a two bedroom I had visions of turning the second bedroom into an office/craft room. In actuality, it consisted of piled boxes and “stuff” – with the computer tucked into a corner of clear space.

The apartment laundromat was a matter of steps from my apartment, and when the machines were working was quite convenient. At least that is what everyone told me . . .
in actuality, they are never convenient.

Having the quarters,
loading the laundry,
carrying the laundry,
washing the laundry,
getting more quarters,
drying the laundry,
folding/hanging the laundry,
carrying the laundry (now occupying much more space)
and
putting the laundry away.
(rinse and repeat theme song here)

And, of course, with any apartment dwelling there are neighbors. I was fortunate in that mine were nice and except for the ones above me, relatively quiet. On my side of the building ~ next to me was a couple who were in residence only during the week. On weekends they went to their ranch to play with their cows and horses ~ nice job if you can get it!! Upstairs from them were a delightful couple with a five year old son that was going to be a stand-up comedian someday and a new baby. They were wonderful neighbors, and when I had my first knee operation actually showed up at my door during the recovery to find out if I needed anything and to check that I was OK.

The neighbors directly above me were . . . well . . . quite interesting and unusual. Aside from some strange activities and loud noises from above ~ there was the day (a beautiful Saturday afternoon as a matter of fact) they made rather passionate love (cue bad movie porn sound track here)~ with their windows open. Ah, the sounds of nature. There were a number of people out on the area in front of my apartment which had some BBQ pits and benches . . . they were as fascinated stunned as I was. Even Bonzai was stunned into silence and immobility.

But as I said, Le Mutt and I were quite comfortable where we were and not planning to move anytime soon. (cue ominous sounds here) I really didn’t want to go through the hassle of packing, unpacking and transferring everything into a new apartment. Besides, mine was quite convenient and I was settled into the space. Albeit a somewhat cluttered space, but MY space none-the-less.

The 1st week of January, the people next to me told me they were planning to move ~ something closer to their jobs. We chatted about options, and then they told me that the BC building in the complex had a 2 bedroom/2 bath available. THAT conversation was what set all this in motion.

When the complex was built ~ there was a supper club right in the middle. It had the charming name of “Barbary Coast.” From what I understand, it didn’t take the owner very long to realize that he really didn’t want to be in the restaurant business . . . running a large complex was quite enough. After several years, the building was revamped/redesigned with ten individual apartments. Because of the lay-out of the building, no apartments had the same floor plans and each had washer/drying connections. Because of the type of building it is, and the larger apartments along with the connections, demand is rather high for them. As a matter of fact, when one becomes vacant, the complex doesn’t even advertise them – current tenants rent them in a matter of days.

So, off I went to the office to ask about the apartment and to get the keys to see it. The apartment itself was about 150 yards from where I was, so moving wouldn’t be a major ordeal. Or so I thought . . .

–more to come

Sunday, Sunday – Oh, That Sunday Sleep ~ Early Evening Thoughts

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I really needed a silly time today. For the most part, the day went fairly well … OK, the day went. It started with 1/2 of the couple moving into the apartment today (my day off!) told me that the move would start at 8:00am in the morning. Yawning and complaining, I awoke at 7:00am to be somewhat ready for their arrival.

At 8:00am I received a phone call from the OTHER 1/2 of the couple saying it wasn’t going to happen until 10:00am. Not a problem, back to bed I went. THEN I received a phone call from the first 1/2 of the couple saying it was now going to be around 11:00am before it happened. I didn’t bother to get out of bed.

I finally emerged from what some people call a beauty sleep (didn’t work in my case!) and started my day. Finally at 3:00pm the first load arrived of the move. That was when disaster seemed to strike. The electricity was off ~ OK, not a problem. I would just go back and flip the switches. OK~ now a problem.

Last night my maintenance man decided to get in the middle of an argument that a man and woman were having out on the street. Unfortunately, it appears that neither of them appreciated his becoming involved and he ended up being smacked down onto the pavement. Of course, there was the requisite head gash and being slightly banged up. The head gash made him look as if he had been run over and being banged up made him slightly irritable and not feel very well.

While the police were not too terribly interested in going after the arguing couple, the ambulance folk were very interested in taking my maintenance man on a ride to the hospital. I didn’t argue ~ too much.

Unfortunately, the maintenance man had the electrical box keys attached to his belt. OK ~ no problem, the man and the keys will be back today. OK ~ now a problem, he evidently was kept overnight for observation and testing. I still have not heard from him nor from anyone that knows him.

Now, I have two halves of this couple (who may or may NOT communicate with each other) moving into an apartment that has no electricity. Thank heavens for petty cash. I’m going to offer them either dinner and breakfast in the morning or a Motel 6 room for the night. They can take their choice ~ but they are NOT allowed to call me with the decision. I can only imagine how many phone calls that would take!!!

I’m also hopeful that I can get down to the Comcast office this week, and get my Internet hooked back up. The problem isn’t Comcast or me. The person who lived in this apartment before me left without paying his bill (and it is a him as I know who it is!). I have to go down and prove that I am not this nefarious bill skipping …uh… person. At that point, I will no longer be using the office computer and will be able to post pictures on the blog once more!!

And now, for the silly part of my Sunday:

One of the most incredible marketing campaigns involved Marlboro cigarettes. On the side of each pack were “miles” and people collected those miles for prizes from the prize catalogue. This helped Marlboro stay ahead of the “pack” which advertising that cigarettes could do became quite limited.

Here are some little known items from the various years catalogues:

1. 1,000,000 miles: John Wayne’s bronzed lungs

2. 80,000 miles: The “Cougher”: “cough”– Lights on… “cough”-“cough”– lights off!

3. 80,000 miles: Marlboro Man ballet shoes and tutu

4. 100 miles: Bumper sticker saying, “You can have my cigarette when you pry it from my feeble, trembling hands.

5. 500,000 miles and a $10,000 contribution: The Senator of your choice

6. 25,000 miles: (collectors item) Jackie Gleason’s “Wheezin’ to the Oldies” workout video

7. 45,000 miles: Complete framed collection of Surgeon General’s warning labels

I drove past a Hollywood Video Store this week, and they were eliminating all the VHS tapes from the store at $1.99 each…at least that’s what the sign outside said. As the world moves more to CD’s and DVD’s … I got to thinking about that wonderful (now becoming a collectors item) invention the floppie disk that seemed so revolutionary at the time. I was sure I hadn’t lost it ~ and today I dug around in a couple of the “don’t throw this away, I might need it someday” boxes I have in the closet, and there it was.

Proper Care of Floppies

1. Never leave diskettes in the disk drive, as data can leak out of the disk and corrode the inner mechanics of the drive. Diskettes should be rolled up and stored in pencil holders.

2. Diskettes should be cleaned and waxed once a week. Microscopic metal particles can be removed by waving a powerful magnet over the surface of the disk. Any stubborn metallic shavings can be removed with scouring powder and soap. When waxing diskettes, make sure application is even. This will allow the diskettes to spin faster, resulting in better access time.

3. Do not fold diskettes unless they do not fit in the drive. “Big” diskettes may be folded and used in “little” disk drives.

4. Never insert a disk into the drive upside down. The data can fall off the surface of the disk and jam the intricate mechanics of the drive.

5. Diskettes cannot be backed up by running them through the Xerox machine. If your data is going to need to be backed up, simply insert two diskettes together into the drive. Whenever you update a document, the data will be recorded on both diskettes.

6. Diskettes should not be inserted into or removed from the drive while the red light is flashing. Doing so could result in smeared or possibly unreadable text. Occasionally the red light continues to flash in what is known as a “hung” or “hooked” state. If your system is “hooking” you, you will probably need to insert a few coins before being allowed to access the disk drive.

7. If your diskette is full and you need more storage space, remove the disk from the drive and shake vigorously for two minutes. This will pack the data enough (Data Compression) to allow for more storage. Be sure to cover all the openings with scotch tape to prevent loss of data.

8. Data access time can be greatly improved by cutting more holes in the diskette jacket. This will provide more simultaneous access points to the disk.

9. Diskettes can be used as coasters for beverage glasses, provided they have been properly waxed beforehand. Be sure to wipe the diskettes dry before inserting into drive (see item #2 above.)

10. Never use scissors and glue to manually edit documents. The data stored is much too small to be seen with the naked eye, and you may end up with data from some other document stuck in the middle of your document. Razor blades and scotch tape may be used, provided the user is equipped with an electron microscope.

11. Periodically spray diskettes with insecticide to prevent system bugs from spreading.

And of course, no day would be complete
(also from the same box) without some quotes to end the day:

He who dies with the most toys, is, nonetheless, still dead.
–unknown

The cost of living hasn’t affected its popularity.
–unknown

I am returning this otherwise good typing paper to you because someone has printed gibberish all over it and put your name at the top.
–English Professor, Ohio University

Q: How many surrealists does it take to screw in a light bulb? A: Two. One to hold the giraffe and the other to fill the bathtub with brightly colored machine tools.
–unknown

Q: How many minimalists does it take to change a light bulb? A: 1
–unknown

This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.
–Dorothy Parker

Diplomacy is the art of saying “nice doggy” until you can find a rock.
–unknown

When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem begins to resemble a nail. –Abraham Maslow

All That Glitters ~ Early Evening Thoughts

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The decision to move was not an easy one to make. I had accepted a new job with a company that rents apartments by the week. While an interesting concept, and one that seemed to have validity, I was concerned about the number of managers the property had been through in the last period of time. In “digging” into the situation, I decided that it was something I would be able to handle and something that I could make work.

Any position with short term rentals, be it apartments or hotels, the speed at which things happen can really overwhelm managers. In the weekly rental “game” – you will do in one week what apartment managers do in four weeks. There is little or no room for “sliding” on revenue ~ there is not place to easily work with someone when they become behind on their rent. This was one of my major concerns. I have always been a manager that was concerned about revenue protection. To me, it is much more profitable to work with someone to get the money owed than to immediately do an eviction and have the lost revenue while an apartment sits empty and the process of eviction wends it course.

The decision was made that the process would work, and that I could make a “go” of what was in front of me. Fortunately, time has proved me correct (so far) and my collections and revenue are where they need to be.

The push was to have me move on-site. This is a situation fraught with peril. Once tenants know you live on-site, they have a tendency to call you for any situation minor or major. Of course, the major situations are important. The fact that the door of the cupboard over the sink isn’t closing tightly isn’t.

I have a friend who managed a very large complex and lived on-site. She actually issued to tenants a “blood, flood, fire” memo. She told them that if they knocked on her door after 8pm in the evening – it had better involve blood, a flood or a fire. Otherwise, it was going to involve blood…and very quickly.

The move itself to the complex should have been quite simple, however ~ being me ~ it was anything but simple. The first load was on Saturday, and all seemed well. Then the skies opened up and the deluge began. (Maybe the heavens were trying to tell me something!) It was decided that the rest of the move would occur on Sunday. This was a good thing – as it gave me a little more time to prepare.

As one of the loads was heading down the highway, one of my craft bags opened up and there was a trail of glitter flowing from the bed of the pick-up truck. I informed the people helping me move, that the first person who made a comment about fairy dust was going to be hurt ~ badly!!
Then came the saga of the dresser. It was too large to be lifted over the obstacles in the way and appeared too large to fit though the doors (which seemed to be designed for those hiding doors you see in old movies). Finally, with much swearing and sweating it was ensconced in its place and all was well.

Unfortunately, my apartment now looks as if it is the remnants of a garage sale – and I have much to dig through and sort through. I think that by Friday I will be able to find some clothes to wear and maybe even some dishes to eat off of!!

Dare I Say Disheveled!!! ~ early evening thoughts

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I don’t know how accurate this is ~ but I was told yesterday that it has rained for 41 days in Houston. I would believe it. Yesterday, I was trying to get all my “stuff” from one place to another. The first load went without a problem … until about half way there, the sky opened and we had another deluge. So much for moving anything else!

Today, it took four trips (20 miles round trip each) and a lot of huffing and puffing – but everything is IN the new apartmet. Unfortunately, I look like a storage shed and will be spending the next couple of days unpacking and finding things. I did try and keep things somewhat collected where they belonged. I will admit that the word is “somewhat.”

However ~ it is wonderful to be this close to work AND to all my friends. This also means that it will be MUCH easier to keep you posted about what’s going on in my life and the lives of those around me.

Until I get my own internet, I’m unable to to much with pictures, so bear with me as far as having text only.

—more tomorrow

And So It Begins ~ Moving Thoughts

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It is official – today I am starting to move. I will be living in the complex I am managing, and that will be a wonderful blessing of no travel time (from the living room to the office is 4 steps)…and being able to handle and observe more of what’s going on around.

Unfortunately, I will be unavailable today (07.07.07) until late Sunday (07.08.07). And the move also means I will have more time to blog and spill the beans share the stories of what is going on in my life and the lives of those around me!!