June 26, 2009

8:03 p.m.

Procrastinating a Tad

Just a quick entry before the last packing push. Boxes and small furniture items went on Wednesday without a hitch. Dar loved the place in spite of its current condition. He knows he can't be here to do this work right now, but he offered to gather half a dozen lackeys from Boston and send them up to scrape and paint the outside (an enormous job) and/or scrape and replaster ceilings, etc. Bless him. Chris, of course, took one look at the lawn and decided where the band would set up, how the audience would face, where the concession stand would be... however, it's all going to be farmed and gardened so there will be no outdoor concerts in my yard. However, if I ever wanted to do some in the living room, it's perfect, long like a little concert hall.

I have continued to scrub, although working the last two days I've had less time, so have concentrated more on taking carloads of things over and having dinner with my family. Marc discovered that the key I'd been given is for the more modern deadbolt, and it looks like maybe the old man lost his old keys and couldn't get the old lock assembly out, so just put in a new one above it. But the old hardware is gorgeous. Marc removed (easily, I might add) one lock cylinder and we'll stop at the locksmith's tomorrow and have it keyed. I didn't even know you could do that. To think I can use the old locks on both my doors! Warms my heart.

As for the back "porch" door -- who knows. It doesn't really latch though it's locked, and the whole thing is so swollen at the bottom it's REALLY hard to get the door open or closed.

Today I left work 2 hours early to get a headstart on the final night, stopping at a hardware store for more Lye and Roundup... but when I got home I was so exhausted I had to lie down for an hour. I set the alarm and tried to get up after half an hour but I simply couldn't. So tired I felt almost sick. After an hour I got myself up and started to pack the car with small appliances and the rest of the plants. It looked like it might rain so I hustled a bit...

...and then it did rain. I finished loading out in the rain -- I have a great poncho -- and then realized I'd left two moving blankets on top of the car, which were now soaked. Arghhhh! Then Sunny came out and asked if I was aware that there was a tornado warning for the next half hour. I lugged the wet blankets upstairs and tried to spread them out on the balcony as best I could, avoiding the outer edge so they wouldn't get more wet. A weather website said hail was reported in my town! I didn't see any, though.

I called Rose to tell her my game plan. She was on her way to pick up the little cube fridge for me. By the time I'd done that and wished a friend on Facebook happy birthday, it was time to really go.

The rain was less, so getting out was easy. First I went to R&M's to drop off the clothes I'd need for the coming period. I'd put all the most necessary ones in my suitcases. Then went to House (still smells like pee when shut up, because of that one room/bathroom) and delivered the rest of the things I'd packed. On the way up I got to pick up MY recycling bin from MY driveway and take it back to the house. The bin is gross inside -- gotta clean that, too, darnit -- but, hey. It's mine.

I forgot, once again, to put out the ant bait. I have quite a few of those buggers, too, though I've only seen them one at a time, fortunately.

Then back. I realized I was famished. Made a salmon burger and some zucchini -- YUM -- and the rain eventually stopped, and just a short while ago I looked out the window to see this:

...one of the finest rainbows I have seen in years.

********

And now I really have to get packing all this ubiquitous, little stuff that still populates my apartment. Everyone, but everyone, who was going to help me move tomorrow, can't. So Rose and Marc, who were going to be off the hook because Rose has helped me move a thousand times before, will help anyway, and possibly Josh, her boss. We only have one pickup truck now, but we will make as many trips as we have to. We can all take comfort in knowing that this is the last one.