Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Never let them tell you that they're all the same*

The One Point Five Year Plan is coming to a close. As you may or may not know, because I talk about it all the time but in indirect ways, last December my husband took a job in San Francisco, with the ultimate goal of moving me + the four-leggers + all the stuff out there in 12-18 months. Now, the 18 months is at an end and we (the Nevada part of the collective) are making the Great Leap Westward.

My dashing husband has arranged the house on the other end of the trip. This was no small feat, and I'm not downplaying his involvement - but if he wanted to tell The Internet about his life, he'd have a blog. I have:

Fought down my Zen desire to throw away all our stuff, and instead neatly packed it.
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Arranged for shipping containers.
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Loaded one of the containers.
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Hired Big Dudes to load the rest of the containers.
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Consolidated and packed all my Horse Stuff.
This is a "mobile tool carrier" from Home Depot, and it's also a sweet tack trunk.
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The bottom has electrolytes and psyllium. Middle has vitamins/random crap. Upper has trimming tools / more random crap.
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Done necessary truck and trailer maintenance and upgrades.
The truck needed its SHOCKINGLY EXPENSIVE 30k mile service. The trailer needed some minor Dixie-clysm repairs, plus a new spare tire mount. Remember when I made a cabinet? That killed the tack room spare tire mount, so I needed a new one.
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Gotten the cats, dog, and horse UTD on vaccinations and health stuff.
Post-vaccinations.
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^^ Ok, not post-vax, that's just how he likes to sleep in the bathroom. FOR REALS, post-sedation for tooth floating:
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Not so good at walking.

Arranged for a reroof of the house. Pix forthcoming. SEE? I don't ALWAYS do it myself!!

Cleaned most of the house (minus the room I'm living in, the kitchen, and the bathroom I'm showering in).

Arranged for Horse Living Quarters (at the barn I liked the most, in Portola Valley!)

Washed the horse's nasty mane, and took a video that's too large to wirelessly transfer, and will be the subject of a future post.

Let no less than three sets of strangers potential renters tour the house in various states of horrible disarray.

Tomorrow is T-1 Day. All I need to do is clean the bathroom and kitchen, pick up the last couple weeks of dog poo, hook up the trailer, take the last of the recycling to the dump, load cram all the stuff in the barn into the trailer, return the cable modem, pick up my Coggins and health certificate for Dixie, pre-load the truck, clean the kitchen and bathroom, and sleep peacefully. Then Friday I can feed Dixie, trap the cats, finish loading the truck and trailer, and roar over Donner and into San Francisco with everything I own. Piece of cake.

(Wish me luck!!)

*Going to California, Led Zeppelin

26 comments:

  1. Good luck, and HAVE FUN! Take pics.

    Bill

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  2. Here's to an uneventful trip!

    Can't wait to hear about the new place and all:)

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  3. Packing and moving is a huge job. I hope you have safe travels with all of your creatures in tow! We're at T-15 days for our move, so I feel your pain!

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  4. I do indeed wish you luck ☺ And a wonderful experience on exciting new trails with Dixie. Drive safe!

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  5. wow! Best of luck that all of that goes some what smoothly!

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  6. Have a great and safe trip!

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  7. Good luck and safe travels! Cannot wait to hear about the new place!

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  8. Easy-Peasy! Bet your OH had a horrific time finding you a home by comparison!

    Seriously tho, best of luck with the move, I hope you, Dixie, dogs & cats have an easy ride all the way.

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  9. Wow, bet you can't WAIT to be settled in CA and take a breath. Good luck on the last phase!

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  10. Fair winds and following seas! And don't forget PICTURES!!!!

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  11. May your final day of packing and cleaning go smoothly, may your journey be safe, and everyone (critters and humans) adjust quickly. Looking forward to pics from your new home.

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  12. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq-S8CIU7VA&ob=av2e
    Uncle Scott passes this a long to you.

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  13. Wishing you a smooth trip and good fortune in all you encounter. And I hope you come ride with me when you're settled in.

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  14. You're making me tired!! Good luck with the move. It looks like you have everything organized and under control.

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  15. Good luck to you and the beasts!

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  16. You are in the home stretch, have a great and safe trip!! I made the move to Vermont from Tennessee (and then back) with all of my stuff plus 4 horses, 2 dogs and 2 cats. Let the good times roll (or not!) was my motto during those moves!

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  17. Safe travels! We'll see you on the other side!

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  18. Safe travels to you! Can't wait to get acquainted with your (and Dixie's new digs). :)

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  19. Best of luck!! Bet you and your hubby are excited to finally be back together again. :)

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  20. On to another chapter of your very exciting life. Happy road trip. Stay safe and looking forward to hearing about the next phase.

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  21. Travel safely.

    Not sure about Led Zeppein for a tune - what about "the night they drove old dixie down"? (But she's not old, I know.)

    I do hope that everything works out really well for each of you, human and animal.

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  22. I have to tell you, I love the Fat Max idea so much that I'm going to get one for me, and one for Kitty when she goes off to Meredith Manor. It's really a huge pain for me to run back and forth to the garage, or wait until the kids are around and can do it for me, since I have 2 mares that don't tie. This is like the perfect solution!

    I went to bed thinking about this box. I had dreams about it. I woke up thinking about it. It's a must have. Thanks for sharing your great idea!

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  23. Holy wow!
    It's amazing how that time went! I'm so glad you got to live in a place where endurance wad plentiful.
    Praying for your drive adventure...I'm so amazed with your strength!

    Looking forward to the next farm and area!!
    KK

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