A Word About Ashland

We'd originally planned to spend 2 nights in Mt. Shasta, but quickly canceled the 2nd night. We winged it and just drove through town until something felt right.

The Palm Motel looked interesting. A cancellation freed up a room and they waived their no pets policy for Sophie (who was a complete angel throughout the entire ordeal).



The room was charming and the entire complex a mini-shangrila. Gardens and waterfalls were tastefully placed and there were two lawn areas for basking and outdoor imbibing.



There was also a pool. Nancy never ignores water and sun. This was the weekend of the heat-wave. Temps were in the high 80's.



We could walk to the town center. Ashland is simply an adorable tourist town. There's shopping and eating galore. It's beautiful. And there are always the plays.

The next morning, I went off in search of coffee (couldn't find anything besides Starbucks) and stopped to take in this view of the rolling hills to the East.

Heading North - April 10, 2008

Rita and Sallie had to get up early to go to work. So as much as I would have loved to sleep in, we were all out posing for pictures and saying goodbye at 7AM.



I was sent off with a lot of love! I will be visiting OFTEN.

I got us out of the city, but we quickly switched drivers and Nancy drove all the way to Shasta City. I was dog tired and neither of us could have gone any further. Our motel was a disappointment, but it was clean and pet-friendly.

The next morning I was in much better shape to appreciate the town. The air was divine (!!!) and it's true, what they say about the water. Best coffee shop in town was Seven Suns Coffee where I got one of the best scones I've ever had. If you're ever in Mt. Shasta ....



We posed in front of the mountain before heading off to Ashland.

Last Goodbye - April 9, 2008

Lolli's car was loaded to the gilly-gobbers (as my sister would say). The movers folded the living room carpet and tied it on. She took everything from toaster ovens to potted plants.



Next stop was picking up my sister Nancy Anne at the BART station. We headed to the rental office to turn in my keys. It was bittersweet -- but I had done my grieving and leave-taking in the prior month.



Our next stop was Rita and Sallie's condominiums for dinner and a place to sleep. We were turned back at the Golden Gate Bridge due to protests surrounding the Olympic Torch. We wound through the streets that I knew so well.

A shower at Rita's refreshed us. My sister Nancy doesn't drink and the wine is having its way with her.






I was exhausted beyond measure and deeply content to be with these women I love: Nancy, Sallie, Rita and Lolli. We had a wonderful time laughing and being silly.

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Running purely on adrenalin, I was up at 6AM to continue packing. Zhang Moving arrived promptly at 9:30AM as promised. The boxes and furniture flew out of my apartment!



These young men were athletes!!!



My dear friend Lolli Jacobsen was indispensable. She drove off to get rental blankets from U-Haul and just generally made the entire experience all the richer and more meaningful for having a friend to share it with.



When I think of all the love and effort that went in to creating a home, it's an odd sensation to take it all apart.



Everyone I hired to help me was FABULOUS!!! I cannot say enough good things about ABF U-Pack movers. They were among the many pro's who helped me.

Final Push

The final push is awesome. You just put one foot in front of the other and do what you have to do. My friend Rita came by for a "last supper". Here I dine among the boxes and chaos.



It was windy and cold in San Francisco when the signs came to give notice and reserve space for the van.



With so few "posts" to hang the signs from, I had to improvise and use the garbage cans.



But to really finish up the packing, I had to hire professionals. They did in 5 hours what it would have taken me 2 weeks to pack. Here are Anita and Christine from Ship Shape packers.

Final Posting from 17 Arellano

I turn in my Comcast modem and TV box today. So no more internet connection from this address.

I'll be gone half the day refreshing my packing supplies, getting more street "obstruction" signs and picking up my mammography films for my medical records.

I still don't know how to pack lamp shades. Tuesday night I'll have to go to bed with the chickens or read by the only two ceiling lights (kitchen and bathroom).

There should be wi-fi along the way north. Otherwise, next stop is Vancouver, WA.

It was there all along ....

This weekend my cousin Sallie delivered her father's (my uncle's) electric bike as my moving / new home gift.

But alas, the key to the storage locker is not in its usual place.



We looked high and low. My already fried nerves were in no condition for this setback. (Fantasies of my storage locker raided and my bike stolen could not be indulged.)

We stored the bike in the living room.



And I popped half an Adavan --- to no effect actually --- only slight drowsiness.



Sallie drove us to Aptos to visit her mom. When I returned on Sunday, I moved something and what do I see but the key just outside the dish it should have been in.



All is well that ends well. My friend Rita offered to come help me this evening. I've hired professional packers to help with the final push on Tuesday.

This is the dirty, messy, bone-tired final push.

The Desk is Gone!

I got the call at 11:15 -- they'd be here at noon. I made a mad dash to COMPLETELY empty the stairwell and move EVERYTHING out of the entryway. Then of course, there was disconnecting all the computer cables, phone, speakers, monitor, etc.

I have to say, when folks have the right tools and muscle -- it looks so easy. They popped the desk onto a flat dolly and wheeled it right to the front door.



It was a slam dunk. Took less than 15 minutes.



In the rush of the moment I forgot to check that the drawers were empty. Oh well! Now it's just a matter of cleaning up what's left behind.

Moving Right Along....

My 4' x 6' wall mirror was taken away this morning. I didn't have the heart to photograph the event. The shipper (crusty, nicotine-infused, 50-something) hired a "day laborer" off the street and kept referring to him as "amigo". He was a sweet young man with good English.

Ok, so as they're going down my stairs, (I couldn't look) the expletives were flying. Not exactly vulgarity, more along the lines of "Watch it!! .. Where are you going? .. I know it's heavy! .. UP! UP! .. How ya' doing, amigo?"

When asked, I was informed they didn't transport large pieces of glass very often. *gulp* But all is well that ends well. No breakage while they were here.

I have a taker for the desk! Actually, I have three takers. It will be taken away tomorrow afternoon, for a $50 fee.

Salvaged!

This was a major scuz job! Over 100 feet of hose had been coiled in a rubber trash can for the past 10 or more years. (The gardener in me refusing to give up hope of one day having a garden in my life again.)

The lid had blown off and it had filled with water and debris. Major slimy scuz!

I took everything out, disconnected the three hoses and one by one drug the lid and trash can followed by the three hoses upstairs into the bathtub and cleaned them just like carrots.



Then I coiled the hoses independently in neat circles and stored them back in the now clean and dry trash can -- ready for transport.

Does Anyone Want This Desk?

This is a beautiful desk -- but I can't get rid of it!



I've had it since I was a teenager - over 40 years ago. It measures 33" deep by 54" wide. Turns out all the used furniture stores have a 48" limit to the width. They won't even take it if I pay to have it shipped to them.



Folks in San Francisco live in apartments and don't want large pieces. It'll cost me close to $100 just to have it shipped to the dump! I hate to chop it up. The top surface is 1" solid oak.

Snafu's

If it can break ....



For starters, there was a power outage the night Obama made his courageous speech. My stereo receiver whistled as the power flicked on and off. The next day -- nada! A trip to Sound Well in Berkeley was inconclusive. Would cost nearly as much as the purchase price to repair it - maybe.

I haven't been able to sell the things I didn't want to take up to Washington (couch, coffee table, desk, bookcases, mirror, etc.) So the mirror will be crated (for $200+) and the desk....



I've gotten 4 nibbles on Craig's List but no takers. If Goodwill or The Arc won't pick it up, I'll have to pay some $100 just to cart it away. It's a beautiful desk, but it literally won't fit in my new home.

To secure parking for the moving van, one gets an "obstruction permit" -- not from Parking and Transportation, as one might expect -- but from the police department. The application form is very poorly written. To make a long story short, I paid the wrong amount (with a cashier's check no less) So that has to be done over again.

I'm out of packing materials. I keep finding stuff I had tucked away. (arghhh!) So yet another trip to the dump is in order.

And the more I pack the more I discover yet to pack -- no matter how fast I fill up Goodwill bags. Only 5 packing days left (a doctor's appointment and visits to friends will take up the other days). Better get packing.