I will actually learn to create a realistic, for me, packing schedule :-o

Actually I wrote the list to be done in a week, but I did it 2 weeks before the move so it worked, and took 2 weeks. Because I continued to do laundry and dishes and - indexing! The 1940 Census was released and I have only been able to dabble, but am thrilled I was able to do some. First week I did 960 names and the second week 1080. That is 24 and 27 batches. But the packing is done!

I was also smart enuf to realize that I could not load the car by myself in one day without a hand truck (furniture dolly) so I started loading a day early and had it done Saturday as my list said. About 80% of the stuff is in, I will put the mattresses in tomorrow and then put the last things in around them. I know, I could have slept on the couch a couple of nights and been done already but I am 57 3/4 and chose to load the mattresses on my day of departure. (thank you Tiney for the awesome mattresses. Again) Fred helped her old Grammy with the Weyerhauser table and the "furniture". One was too heavy for me, the other too awkward.

Not smart enuf to get to bed early or even on time but hey, the dishwasher is loaded ready to run in the morning and my load of laundry is ready to fold (my ox was in the mire. I did not want to start the trip with dirty clothes.) so I Will get to sleep today ;-} I have 30 minutes!

And for the Grand Finale ~ Elder O'Gara entered the MTC Wednesday, 11 April ! ! ! SO anxious for his first communication to reach me. I have new passwords on his fb and blog, well, password, and I am set to be his communications liaison to the world at large.

Leaving about 0900 for Zanne's house, sleeping there Monday night - the journey home begins

xoxoxox

I will live in Las Vegas for 6 months to help with baby #4!

I didn't leave Idaho until Monday - but I was well rested!

The trip was 14 hours (the car was loaded so heavily I couldn't go over 62mph without "wallowing"), driver's side turn signal assembly literally fell off the car in the night in the Nevada desert (discovered what I had heard the next day when there was light to see) and I was sick my first two days here, I hate throwing up!!! I totally blame it on the oversized hotdog wrapped in bread dough from Flying J. Never bothered me before and never will again! NO WAY I will ever buy another one. All my food this trip was from Flying J, to cut down on stops. Going home I will return to my usual practice of a well stocked cooler with celery, cream cheese, craisens, juice, crackers, apples, grapes and a roll or bagel. Took me two days but I cleared my system and am doing great now ;-Þ

Lindsay's birthday party was a great success and we ate leftovers for dinner, a nice plus. I made fruit salad from the leftover fruit tray ;-}

It was Fun going to church today and just sitting in Sunday School and Relief Society, attending Choir right after church...

I was the last one to bear my testimony in Sacrament. "... I am Valinda O'Gara's, I mean Valinda Gubler's mother..." Tried to tell her that at least I got the right first name!! I enjoy this ward, Drox and I were members of it 5 years ago for 6 months and now two of the boys he was in class with have received their mission calls - Richmond, VA and Charlotte, NC.

Have to get to bed on time these days because people invade my "bed room" at 0545 each morning - I am in the family room part of the kitchen - dining - family room area for now. We unloaded my car after the party yesterday, set up the seats so I can drive Tuesday in Ddonn's absence.

I slept on my mattresses last night in the front hallway, just for one night. I actually find that the futon (folded even) is quite comfortable but it was nice to stretch out.

Keeping dishes done and got a feeble start on laundry, Ddonn still does dinner ;-}

Tomorrow I am helping with wedding dresses for assorted small family members. Sashes to be exact.

No Matey fix in days - sob, sob, shuddering sob!

I will rethink my departure plans at the beginning of the day.

As opposed to being in frantic denial until the reality crushes me that, No you are not leaving this morning. In fact you are probably Not leaving today. Make your reservation for TJ's driveway early ! ! !
Remembered the oven on my way to bed at midnight so I was able to scrape up the rubble and spray it to sit over night. Remembered the coat closet has JE stuff to tape up in the wee hours when I kept waking up from everything and Nothing. I think it was mostly my mind saying "are you really going to leave before Buh and believe that the sinks, etc get wiped down one final time?"
So, wiping the oven, doing the JE stuff, removing seats from Betsy - they get to travel in the Uhaul - then boxing the sewing machine, my computer, the stuff on the 'desk', removing drawers and legs from the weyerhauser table and Loading Betsy! That will empty my room so I can vacuum.
Then I will proceed with the remaining stray bits, the high chair being the most noteable and it might go ahead of the oven so it can make the DI trailer, if not there are Goodwills and DIs in WA!
I need a Matey fix but it is too early :-o in his time zone.

it will take longer to do things, but I won't think to put more time in the equation!

Yeesh! Some people's moms!!
So, Drox's sweet friend came by and helped for a hour - it really did help, I mostly need company and legs (young ones that move faster than mine).
The Primary president came by with cookies ;-} looking for my manual - co teacher has it.
Co teacher came over with an Awesome dinner (take out from Texas Roadhouse).
I shamelessly called my wonderful friend TSJ in Nampa and after accusing her of abandoning me asked if she could at least take the fridge stuff that won't fit in the coolers. She rebutted with the truth that I usually call her about cleaning when I move and my reply was that there is still vacuuming and mopping and the oven to do.
With little friend's help and Buh's help my room only has stuff to go in the car in it - except my bed, of course - and I will box up both bathrooms tomorrow. They are boxed separately right now and just need combining for the move.
The window was open all night and day in Drox's room but when I was stuffing my clothes into a space bag in there - wide open vacuumed floor to work on - the cat urine smell was outrageous! We don't have a cat or dog because both boys are allergic and the landlord failed to tell us they had a dog AND a cat until a month after we moved in. So I felt guilty all over again that my poor son had lived with that October - May. I think his shelves were over the stinky area and the odor was stirred up by the vacuuming today.
There goes Mother of the Year award - again!

I will be exhausted before everything gets done! :-o

Did alot today but not my whole list :-{

The priests came and put the couch in the trailer - hooray!

Two of my friends from church came and the cabinet faces are clean as well as most of the stray marks on the walls and the window tracks in the kitchen and JE's room. Hooray ! ! !

JE's room is totally empty - totally.

The pantry stuff is boxed. Buh helped me stick it out. That is why I am exhausted - the pantry, not Buh (well maybe both ;-)

Buh took the car in for the alignment and to Einsteins so they could recheck fluid levels.

SO, my room IS the list for tomorrow

and Uhaul calling me to schedule the pickup on Thursday

Matey fix - just heard him in the background when his sickie mom called for some help, her internet hadn't shown up yet. She has a cold and is congested and feels neglected that I am not there to help. She has a goal to do 3 boxes each day, I told her that perhaps 3 is too many for a sickie, but she wasn't open to suggestion. (sickie)
I told her she will have help to clear the garage when the Uhaul arrives, don't worry now! I will schedule things so we have time for it to sit in the driveway, no same day turn around.

Bed, bed, b e d xoxoxox

I will teach my last Primary lesson, in my current ward at least lol

My last several callings have been in Primary so I am not holding my breath, but Sunday School and Relief Society would be nice to attend for a week or two ;-Þ
I will miss my class, the youngest will be 6 next week so she received her card early. Like I was going to miss out on THAT. I will miss my co-teacher also, she has been great! Five of the six children in CTR 5B were at church today and the shyest little girl I ever met gave me a big hug before leaving at the end of class.
Sigh...
Last night Matey called me to say goodnight - Happy Day!
Today I got a "Hi!" from him during 'quiet time'
(Warning: expect 'Matey fix' reports to continue in the future)
Buh made some delicious turkey soup last night that we just had for dinner - I may have lost my chef but a fair replacement seems to have surfaced! Yum ;-}
Tomorrow's list includes calling all utilities, an overdue oil change, Matey's books and dvds back to the library, maybe an attempt at contacting the landlord re: a moveout inspection, putting dump stuff into the trailer and oh yes - My ROOM.

people will move without me!

Leave my house with all their stuff and wave good bye!
Moving in "waves" stinks! Especially when I am the final "wave".
My home teacher parked a trailer in the driveway last night for a dump load to go in so THAT is a blessing, I can fill as I go and see progress. With Tiney and Matey less than 30 minutes 'gone' I am surrounded by fallout and working very hard NOT to be overwhelmed.
(hence this post - therapy!)
People picked up the dryer today and I still have hope more of the 'free' stuff will find homes.
I am going to calendar next week so that things occur in a somewhat organized fashion, pack up everything that doesn't run from me (Run, Buh, Run!) and probably start loading the car.
Need to get my oil changed now that I mention the car...
I have a Uhaul reserved for next Thursday and pickup scheduled at a place we have used before, Very helpful people - great customer service.
My room is my immediate target, there are no more boxes to surprise me with papers I need to file or photos to put in the photo stash or keepsakes that can justify their continued existence, Or Matey to con me into watching a video with him :-Þ
Excuse me please, I need to go sob into my pillow now.
Sincerely, the bereft Grammy
(Yes it is only temporary but it still bites!)
(Who will eat the mints in my top drawer that are there just for Matey?)
(So, yes He will, but in a week!)

My shower walls will SHINE ;-Þ

Happy Day! and Happy Birthday to George ! ! ! She is 7 - my favorite number.
It took "Bar Keeper's Friend" and going over each area 2-3 times but my shower walls are no longer dull. Ddonn told me about something to pick up at WalMart that would remove the mineral deposit residue hiding under the soap scum but my shopping buddies were NOT into another stop so I checked to see if Winco had Ddonn's product, they did not, and I spotted the BKF which said 'removes rust and stains' across the front so I bought it. Took tons of elbow grease but I SO wish I had before and after pictures. I didn't know it would be so amazing.
btw - Matey is getting to be quite the expert cleaner. He helped scrub the plastic shower curtain this morning and he needed his OWN brush, thank you very much! He also helped to push the hand truck loaded with boxes out to the big storage shed. We picked up more magic erase sponges, getting serious here! No, Matey will not be using them. It was hard enough keeping him from being elbow deep in the ammonia/dish soap cleaner we concocted.
I need (want) to check the tool shed for a container I packed in a large rubbermaid tote long before Tiney got here and she is NOT eager to help search for it *o* there are only 2 to check in!
Yeesh, she has limits ;-Þ who knew?!

the faster I go (plan) the behinder I will get - still

Got out to the garage just after 10 and there were boxes half sorted in the car. (Long story) the nasty "memory" variety. Spoiler Alert! ~ [We finished the last of them - they have haunted me since Sept 1995] by lunch time we were neck deep in stupid "memory" piles ! ! !
After lunch I insisted on hitting (pleaded with Tiney) the 4 boxes too big to be "memory" ones. And it was wonderful to actually see progress in less than half an hour. Then I had to face the remaining "memories". Of course I fit in repacking glasses and cutting down the box to make them more secure as well as several other side trips, sweeping, emptying the recycle box, combining half filled boxes, but we managed to go thru everything. Empty boxes are stacked by Alfredo's nose because the recycle bin is FULL. Swept the garage for the 3rd time and pulled Betsy back in by dinner time. Found lots of great pictures. Some Aunt DD sent us about 20 years ago, rope swing ones of all 4 kids and Eddie at Harrison Blvd, lots of cool ones I had forgotten we had. Even found a photo of a gun DG was on in the Army. Remembering where I put it will be the trick. Short term memory stinks ;-Þ
Tomorrow is grocery shopping and the master bath. No window. Tiney and I have been having a "who can keep their bathroom cleanest" contest for weeks so the only scary thing is which cleaner will take the mineral spots off of the shower walls.
I think the only problem with my "plan" was not recognizing how much "fallout" there would be as we found things in rooms B-Z that belong in room A. IE my room is still a pit waiting to be boxed! And every time I get caught up we find more for me to pack. The garage was unfortunately a gold mine for me :-o
Without Tiney I would be doomed to continue hauling around stuff I don't need AND leaving a house less clean than I want to OR on a stretcher because I tried to leave it as clean as I want to! Just wanted to publicly acknowledge that little bit of reality ~ (darn! she's not ready for the old folks home yet!) xoxoxox

I will catch a mouse when I pack the kitchen ! ! !

[Setting the scene: We saw a mouse when we moved in, caught it the first week and have had NO rodent guests since then]
Tiney and I were in the kitchen packing away yesterday, anticipating our yummy restaurant lunch, when SHE saw something scurry under the fridge. She hoped mouse, feared spider and would have settled for roach - As If a roach ever lived in Our neighborhood!!! But our state IS full of spiders and we have seen some big ones lately. Buh came and pulled the fridge out a few inches and we all saw a mouse dive for the pantry. I had seen signs of a mouse in the garage and bought traps so Buh got the traps and we set 4 in the pantry. As I was heading to bed Hours later I heard a trap spring and a little rodent joined the contents of the trash.
Back to happier moments~ we had a great lunch , stopped for boxes at the liquor store, the cupboards are all wiped down, they are also mostly empty (just what we need to eat with), and even under the sink is clean with the cleaners, etc in a box.
Cleaning the stove and fridge are for another day ;-Þ
Matey had lots of fun on a walk with Uncle Buh (Matey in his peddle car), ate noodles at a Vietnamese/Chinese restaurant AND he got to have a Bath. Happy Day !
Today is the Garage. I think there are half a dozen boxes to sort and then general sweeping, mostly spider webs from corners and it IS the coolest day of the week so that will be nice since the garage faces southeast!

I will have fun making english muffins, but they never came out raw in the middle when I was young!

Today was errand day and Tami and I ran a couple after our hour in the big storage shed. Then I looked up an english muffin recipe that was close to what I remembered ;-Þ and found one that went in the bread machine ;-} First time I came out of my room 2/3 the way thru the dough cycle and found dry, unmixed ingredients!!! SO I restarted the machine and made sure things mixed. Am packing in my room, oh joy, and Matey likes to watch movies on my little TV so "Cars" may have gotten more time than my closet did. I used an electric pancake grill big enough to cook all 17 muffins at the same time and except for the doughy centers - they looked done but chewing revealed the truth - they came out nice. Did two batches of indexing and am headed back to the closet :-o
Cathy's birthday is today, so is my paternal grandma's, I decided that I would give her my fridge and she graciously accepted. It will be a year old in October, I bought it NEW with an extended warranty and couldn't stand the thought of selling it for less than it is worth. When we were at Cathy's it occurred to me her old fridge could go in the cold room and hold milk (they have a cow) and things that they don't use on a daily basis and mine would look great in her kitchen for daily use. So glad she agrees! They will collect it end of September as I leave for places with fridges already in residence. I love things going to a good home!
Did Matey's nails today. Not polish but clip and file - his nails are like his aunt Ddonn's STRONG and fast growing! Tiney made an awesome dinner but I have heartburn already so I am headed for the ranitidine, then my closet. Tiney is still knee deep in photos. Brave Girl.

I will remember people actually DO read my blog!

On my birthday I failed to mention that my wonderful Vegas grand daughters [and their mom (my oldest daughter)] called and sang to me and wished me happy birthday ;-} As did my sweet second daughter the midwife. Half my children live with me currently and the remaining one, my third daughter, was far away in Morocco and had to settle for the web to greet me.
I did NOT have blue milk!!! Hooray! Hooray! I love blue but Drox always overdoses the milk ;-Þ
I love being sung to, which is why I always made sure my kids called people to sing to them ;-o

We had a cake tonight to celebrate Drox being an ! ! ! Eagle Scout ! ! ! Tiney made the bottom layer, a honey cake from a 1920's recipe from Household Searchlight, and I did a carrot cake for the top layer, Cream Cheese frosting of course! It IS Drox we are talking about here, duh! We split the layers and filled them with a cream cheese mixture and used a different cream cheese frosting recipe for the top and sides.

His dad is here to take him back to WA and had cake with us and I had uncovered some things in my sorting that I thought he might enjoy so I had them out and even remembered while he was here ;-} He was genuinely happy to have the slides he shot in Germany so long ago. He did some awesome time lapse shots back then. And places we went with AuntSandy and UncleLarry, and on our own. Some I would like to have copies of but haven't the time just now to peruse and choose.

Getting rid of the rest of the JUNK and packing the good stuff is the focus of the summer. I was hoping it would just be the month of June, or maybe June and July but reality keeps pointing to SUMMER and it is NOT fun! Except the part where Tiney is helping me - WAY more fun than doing it alone! One more box of kids' stuff to sort into the individual kid boxes and then we will move the stuff in the closet/ my room out to the storage shed in the back yard. Tiney insists I will feel better with it out there and I have a suspicion she is right.

I did bring in the fabric for Wil's quilt (bought in 2006) and the fabric my sweet daughter-in-law bought in 2008 for Drox and I to do a quilt together. Yes, hope springs eternal and if Drox goes somewhere cold on his mission a quilt will be a good thing! I drew a design for a Rubik's Cube inspired design and filed it in the large wooden card file :-Þ

I am "getting back in the box"(*page 88) (that will divide the S.H.E.'s from the rest of you!) mostly using the second book, "Get your act together". I am happily amazed at how much I still remember and at the few things I managed to make 'my own' over the years! "Sidetracked Home Executives"(*) was published in 1977 and I think I discovered it in the early 80's 81? 82? Only my 'storage' box sez 'packing' on it.

Why just LOOK at the time! And I am offering a dollar to whoever finds my cell phone~ disappeared Thursday evening after dinner. This is a good example of why ALL my clothes need to have pockets! xoxoxox

journal type entries continue ;-}

Drox is at school in a tux second day in a row - choir festival at a neighboring school

Possibly doing my last in school order delivery, plan now is that I will stay in the office and do more paperwork while my handsome boss with the Muscles does the lifting and toting of order delivery.
I like paperwork.
I even like phones up to a point ;-Þ

Boxes arriving today "by end of day" Let the packing begin!

Called my landlord Tues? and explained desire to find someone to take over our rental agreement. He will be out of town the first week of April so if I don't hear from him by mid April give him a call and if we find someone interested have them call him.
Worst case scenario - I suggested - utilities go back into his name mid June and I pay rent until someone takes it or Sept rolls past.

I hate moving
I hate packing
However I like them both Much Better than "downsizing"
Which I AM going to become good at.
By the end of April the boys may have to justify their continued presence in our home!!

Remember the glass you left on the counter when you went to get the juice from the fridge before you laugh too hard! (The one your mom washed and rinsed while you were crossing the room)
Pity the boys living with the downsizing mom xoxoxox

So, neither Lindy OR her software made it home with me -

Now WHAT? I will never top my Las Vegas post for glitz and glamour!
I have a Senior, I have a Senior, I have a Senior, sob Sob, sob SOB.
(Yeah I know that is supposed to go "ha Ha, ha HA!" BUT reality stalks... just like the celery ;-)
Yesterday the boys and I installed the new glass cooktop* ! ! !
(Cleaned behind and under the stove while I had it out. I am always tempted to leave the stove out in the middle of the floor a day or two so I can admire how nice the floor and side walls look sparkling clean) ;-Þ
It* looks SO beautiful and works just fine and I am not even really sad that we will only be here 2 weeks to use it, I won't see it lose its "new" look! I love new things and it is always sad to see something slip imperceptibly from new to not new. Especially new eye glasses (I have worn glasses for 46 years in November) you are SO careful and yet that first scratch inevitably appears and it is all downhill from there!
Speaking of which, my current 'eyes' became so scratched they were hindering my vision almost as much as they were helping so I had an eye exam and ordered new ones 2 weeks ago yesterday. The Nice man said it would be 2 weeks for them to get in but they said that last time and it only took 10 days. THIS time I have heard NOTHING and will be on their doorstep when they open today. My concern is fed by the fact that they had an ancient phone number on file and even tho I changed it, who knows if he REALLY hit save???
I even ordered a second pair for the piano/computer. I need trifocals so I wear the blended lenses, a tilt of your head determines how near or far you focus, and tilting ones head back with ones nose in the air is annoying when typing or playing music! I am just trying to figure out if I should wear both pair at once, you know with those chains, to keep them available at a moments notice... ;-Þ
NOT when I am near Christopher !!!
ONE of us would have TOO MUCH fun, and it wouldn't be Grammy.
Still packing up the kitchen.
Oh yeah, we (Le and I) did the Christmas list by the random list generator - took two tries because the first time Drox, Le and Tiney had themselves - and I will include it here in 'code' form, ie blog names.
Grammy to Tiney open to suggestions, I can always do more outlet safety plugs ;-o
ElCid to Fred
Buh to George
Ddonn to ElCid
Le to Wil
Drox to JR
Wil to Grammy ;-}
Tiney to Drox
Fred to Ddonn
JR to Matey
George to Buh ~ cute how they got each other, eh Ddonn?
Matey to Le ~ nice that Matey got one of the people he knows best ;-}

Back to packing.
I sent the new address to all of the people I expect to get mail from, oh wait!
I didn't do Aunt Sandy or Aunt Tammy (that is alphabetical order ladies)
560 E Cougar Dr, same town and zipcode.

It's 9! How did it get to be 9?!?!?!
xoxoxox

I will keep getting better ;-}

So, we worked at home first yesterday and gardened in the evening... actually went well!

Drox's room is done, except the dismantle-ing which is scheduled for the third week of July.

Working on the kitchen today but as soon as Drox is ready... he's up and ate his breakfast, looking good!, we are headed to the garden to stake tomatoes before TJ's children and grandchildren arrive and the fireworks start!

Slept in the living room last night... hot air rises and since the thermostat is on the first floor and the bedrooms are on the second it is a waste of energy when it is over a hundred during the day to think the cool will ever reach the bedrooms. Didn't get below 76 until 1 a.m. so I just turned off the air, opened windows and Drox whined that he was cold and wanted to sleep upstairs where it is warm. SO I turned off the ceiling fan and slept with just a sheet over me - he was happy and I didn't have to worry he was upstairs reading instead of sleeping! But he is dragging so we are still 2 hours later than plan A... too bad I need his muscles!

To the garden and beyond ! ! !

I will be in better shape!

Left a minute or two after 0800, arrived at the garden at 0816 - only had to walk the bike along the empty field of the house Drox wanted us to buy... the parking lot is downhill onto the road and THEN comes a steady climb. Got back on and stayed on the whole way by picking out mailboxes and trash cans, just til that next one...

Weeded by the fence, all 4?5? sections that I have plants - to the garlic. Pinched suckers off tomatoes, thinned the beets again, left the biggest (a relative term in this instance) 9 for TJ and got a WalMart bag to bring mine home in. Found 8 more of her onions pulled up, I really think at the far end of the row it is an animal doing it, I will need to let her know. BTW, poppies do NOT like to be transplanted. They may be spreading like weeds and taking over the universe, ("my" second bed by the house which I am not using this year) but every time I try to move one or two they give up the proverbial ghost!

Left after 0910 (that's when I went in to leave her beets) and got home at 0926 - more of the return trip is downhill. You DO have to dodge traffic (cross the street) to get home... and the first little bit of the parking lot from the other side is UPHILL so I had to walk the bike past 3 buildings THEN I could ride the rest of the way home and almost look 'cool'. Except for the guys across the street pulling in to the handicap space at OUR building just as I was arriving so I couldn't go up the sloped part onto the side walk! I'll do better tomorrow... and earlier.

NOW how about breakfast - before tackling Drox's room. NO dishes or laundry to stall with today ;-}

it won't bother me that sometimes all I have time for is a laundry list

of "what I've done today"!
0410 - cell phone alarm

0420 - radio alarm (Drox has football camp for the next 4 days)

0458 - pulled out of carport - note to self Drox needs more boxers

0505 - arrived at school - coach pleased that Drox was early

0615 - followed bus out of parking lot - he went left, I went right

062? - arrived at TJ's, placed Bran's duffel on the back porch swing, got claw and trowel from the shed and started weeding, despite the fact the sprinklers were on ;-} transplanted what I believe are peppers, several tomatoes, 2 poppies, pulled weeds, washed tools in the sprinklers, watered transplants, tools in shed, volunteer en mass tomatoes home with me to find space for them ... I don't know where

070? - left for home as the sprinklers shut off

0710 - passed jogger, looked like ubuntu's previous mom

071? - home ! ! ! Damp paper towel around en mass tomato volunteers, heated up french toast -after loading dishwasher, ate while playing spider solitaire - after folding load in dryer and putting washer load in to dry. Caved and wrote this ;-Þ

0837 - up stairs to plug phone into charger, collect laundry and start packing Drox's room !
(read new entry)
0841 - OK, so what I type is NOT posted with spacing intact... now I'll get on with my day