Sorting More Than Laundry : Moving to the Beach House

8:33 AM - I am awake and already thinking of the things I need to do to get everyone up and at 'em to get over to Kelly's. I told her that I would not be calling her before 9:00 AM which is when my alarm goes off on weekends. She agreed to this as she too feels the need to rest.

9:15 AM - I have called Kelly and there is no answer. I left a message. I can not call her cell phone as I did not charge my own cell phone the night before and it is dead. Without my cell phone, I do not have people's numbers unless they are in my head. My head is unable to hold many numbers anymore thus the panic when my cell phone fell into the toilet.

9:30 AM - The phone is ringing, but it is not Kelly. It is Susan and we chat and catch up. We both wonder where Kelly is.

9:45 AM - Kelly is calling my cell phone that is now plugged into the wall, but it is too dead to do more than croak out one ring. As I am still on the phone with Susan, calling her back will have to wait a few hours.

10:30 AM - I call Kelly and she is still at home outside on her porch enjoying the morning air. She had been in the shower earlier. She is ready whenever we are. She is waiting for her co-worker to call. He is giving her a bed for her second bedroom.

11:54 AM - We are heading over to Kelly's apartment. We are running a bit late, and I feel nervous and anxious that we are getting such a late start. I know Kelly is up and working hard and wondering why her good friend can't get moving quicker.

11:57 AM - We have arrived. Kelly's apartment is a mess of boxes, belongings, and cat hair that floats gently in the air when you move things or pick up boxes. We get to work right away as the co-worker is on his way to the Beach House. Kelly and I pick up loaded boxes and carry them down the flight of stairs to the car and van. Madison is in charge of watching Cowboy. She and Darcy have him shut in Kelly's bedroom and they are using the laser light to keep him entertained.

12:20 PM - Both the car and the van are loaded for the first run. We must leave to meet the co-worker. I had assumed it was a co-worker from another department, but it turns out he is one of Kelly's employees that I have met. I am not as thrilled as I once was because the man is a heavy smoker. Kelly has reduced her intake and will not be able to smoke at the Beach House as it is smoke-free. I am anticipating a stinky mattress.

1:00 PM - The mattress reeks of smoke and is stinking up not only the second bedroom but the entire house. Madison and Darcy are jumping around holding their noses and gagging. We have added Febreze to our list of things to bring back.

2:00 PM - Work is moving along at a pace that thrills me. Madison and Darcy are working in the bathroom unloading and arranging items that Kelly will one day re-do. But they are quiet and productive. Kelly and I have unloaded kitchen items and are busily getting the kitchen in order. The burner inserts (drip pans I'm told they are called) that Kelly has purchased do not fit, and we have a moment of let down as this means another run to the parts place. I have met the cute man that lives upstairs. He is Dave and lives there with his girlfriend. He offered to move his car so that I had a place to park. Parking is at a minimum. The landlady had told Kelly she could use the vacant parking lot down the street, but a man in the building across from the courtyard at Kelly's Beach House has told me to be careful that the towing company will take my van so quick I won't know what happened. I believe Dave must have heard this exchange. I thank him and move my van out of the lot and into Dave's vacated space.

3:16 PM - Tom has arrived with lunch for all of us from Firehouse Subs. He is dressed in work clothes as he had to work this morning down south with the mayor and a few other cronies. We give him the ottoman to sit in. Darcy gets the chair as she has strep throat. One would never notice this from her sparkling eyes and chattering, but no one argues when she takes the only chair in the house. The rest of sit on the floor and use boxes as tables. We devour our food. Madison finished hers before the adults even open their wrappers.

3:30 PM - Tom and the girls are playing ping pong against the wall in the living area. Not much help, but I take pictures anyway.

5:00 PM - We are back at the apartment to pick up more boxes and the things on our list. We have the idea that we will load up and then go to a furniture shop to look for a table and chairs for the kitchen. I know a used place not far off, but they do not answer the phone. Kelly is gulping down diet coke as if she has been on a desert island for years. We go back up and down the stairs.

5:30 PM - The van and car are loaded again. We decide to unload at the Beach House. Off we go.

7:00 PM - We are finished at the Beach House. The kitchen is done for now. The smoky bed has been sprayed over a hundred times with all sorts of lemon, berry, fruity chemicals. The girls are disappointed that this hasn't helped much. We are off to Super Wal-Mart to look for the kitchen set.

9:15 PM - We have arrived back at our house where we started this morning. We are all tired and hungry. We leave the box containing the new kitchen set in my car to tackle tomorrow. Kelly heads back to the apartment. I make eggs and waffles for us to consume. I feel like I have spent the day at the gym. I will sleep well tonight.

Sorting More Than Laundry