And we chose Colorado. :)

Salary will be a little over ten percent more than the last job. The guy still has to try to work out some moving expenses but it really doesn't matter at this point. It's going to take me months to get this together. I can't rush and I refuse to get stressed over it. I figure I'll do one room at a time, sort it out thoroughly (donate or store for yard sale), do any repairs, painting, whatever, and move on.

They want Sweetie to start as soon as possible--the guy suggested Monday and I said No (snort!). Maybe a week or two, lots to do, gonna try to find a pickup with a camper top so he can move some stuff plus have a sensible vehicle to drive. Car stays here.

-- Anonymous, May 18, 2002

Answers

Consider 4x4 since you will probably be dealing with more snow in the future. You can always trade down later.

-- Anonymous, May 18, 2002

Congrats, OG!

I second the 4 x 4 suggestion. I also suggest that you move only what you absolutely love in terms of stuff because you'll soon be entering a new world of yard sales and flea markets -- the stuff at the close- out stores will even be slightly different because it's a different climate. You may even want to be very choosey about what plants go, if any.

Yep, sounds like a ton of work. Take it very, very slowly, and maybe you can bribe some help to come in with offers of stories and tea. (hint, hint). (:

-- Anonymous, May 18, 2002

I am so glad that Sweetie landed on his feet. I would have chosen Colorado too :)

If you come by way of Iowa, stop and say hi!

-- Anonymous, May 18, 2002

Well, Sweetie will only be driving back and forth to work. Maybe we can get a 4x4 truck? I dunno. Have to talk to the woman who sold us our car--I trust her and she's extremely knowledgeable about what's available. May end up renting something and letting him buy when he gets there.

Not taking plants, except maybe some daylily rhizomes, things like that. I think it's illegal anyway, transporting plants over state borders. Yep, getting rid of as much as possible, if only because we probly can't afford to take it. Trouble is, at my age there are a lot of things you love! Books will be the problem but we have some we can't possibly part with--out of print and expensive when you find them. (Military history, gardening, various other reference books.) Must find out what the per hundred pounds or whatever cost is so I can figure out if something is worth taking or not.

Another consideration: I won't be able to do much shopping at resale places when I get there because I won't have anyone to take me. Sweetie will be working and our weekends will be full for a while. So will have to take certain minimum basics (bed, computers and desks, etc.).

Figure it's going to take 9-12 months for me to do what needs to be done. If I get done before that, wonderful. If not, c'est la vie. Can only do what I can do.

Been running around madly this weekend already, trying to get supplies in (read catfood and litter). Also things Sweetie will need, kinda like sending someone off to the school dorm.

I've moved so many times in my life (must be up in the 20s or 30s) but never had this much stuff before. Ack! Esther will be here Monday (did I tell you I got her back?) and we'll do some more work in the house and maybe some on the outside too.

P.S. Am more worried about water availability than driving in snow. CS is going to have to start recycling waste water to drink by 2038 or maybe before. Good thing I know how to conserve--definitely taking my two water barrels :) Suspect they'll have to put a moratorium on new housing, as Cary has done, until they have some sort of solution underway.

-- Anonymous, May 18, 2002

OG, is CS at the base of mountains? The two places in the West that I'm familiar with, Red Lodge MT and Ogden UT, are. It's glorious.

-- Anonymous, May 19, 2002

Hey, you're moving closer to ME! :)

-- Anonymous, May 19, 2002

He doesn't need a 4x4, he needs chains on his tires.

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2002

I'm sorry, make that studded snow tires, or was that studs and chains...

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2002

Old Git,

Congrats! I think you'll like Colorado, especially after you give your body time to adjust to the climate!

Don't forget to stop by all the liquor stores and pick up the boxes they have. They are great to pack things (like books and stuff) for moving! That way the boxes won't get to heavy.

I assume that you'll be taking I-40 out this way. If you do take it out west as far as OKC, let me know and I'll give you a way to contact me.

What ever you do, don't toss your heavy coats. ;) Somehow I think you'll need to be looking for a heaver one. Oh, but think of all the possibilites of learning new gardening techniques. I know you'll enjoy it, especially after you get moved and all settled.

Best of luck for an easy move!

apoc

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2002

If you have records, LP's I mean, you know; those big disks that today's kids rarely see, it would be best to use the actual shipping cartons that are used to ship them to the record stores. This way the albums are safely packed in manageable weights. Lots of people just fill a box with books and records and then hurt themselves and the contents when they try to lift it and it falls apart.

I'm sure OG knows how to pack since she has moved so many times, but I thought I would throw this out for the hell of it.

Also, consider shipping stuff to a storage location ahead of the main move. It might be cheaper than dragging it all with you when you finally make that drive. Unless you plan to fly? T'would be a fun train trip, I think...

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2002

WOW..so it is going to be a busy time for you!

I have a slide in truck camper that if on an 8 ft. bed is like an RV..and the jacks go with it, so he could park it, and just drive the truck to work! it is just sitting here with a for sale sign!

also, my friend is moving (driving) from NM to Nebraska this week with 8 cats and 2 dogs..she emailed me HOW she was doing this with the cats..I can email you her plan!

Good Luck!

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2002

Peter - Yes. The Front Range of the Rockies kinda rear up to the west, to the east are the Great Plains. There's also a huge natural park in the city called Garden of the Gods. With all the micro breweries around, some of the locals call it Beer Garden of the Gods. Also close by, Cave of the Winds and some Pueblo cliff dwellings. The Sangre de Cristos aren't far away. And South Park, yes, the one for whom the series is named, is just over the mountains to the southwest.

Brooks--we have chains and whups but not studs and chains ;)

Apoc--yes, I think I'll like it. It's at 6800 feet, which is not too bad. Some people have nosebleeds for a day or two but not long. One thing I have to remember is take a case of moisturizer :) Yes, liquor boxes are great for breakables, using the bottle dividers. Just asked Sweetie about the route, says Mapquest doesn't show I-40 to OKC as an option. But I'll check it out later, see if we can make it over that way.

Oh gawd, yes, heavy coats. I have a heavy car coat, that's about it. Just don't need 'em here. Will have to look out for sales at Land's End, etc. Have been lusting after one of their duffle coats.

Barefoot--great idea on the LP boxes--we have a couple of stores close by that would have just the thing. Have already learned the lesson of heavy boxes, it's what "broke" my feet last time. Now have two dollies/hand trucks.

Yes, will look at all shipping options, see what's best. If we can get rid of enough, one way and another, we might be able to take a smaller U-Haul truck and just pay guys to load and unload. Also would need to pay someone to drive the cats :) All to be worked out,depends how much I can get rid of and how often Sweetie comes back and can take stuff with him.

SAR--given the difference in buying costs here (i.e., personal property taxes and stuff), looks like a better deal for Sweetie to rent a van and buy something when he gets to CS. Pity we couldn't take advantage of your camper shell.

Yes, please let me know how your friend is going to transport her cats! I had thought to fit out a van with cages but hadn't really got that far yet. Have plenty of time to finalize details.

We're shooting for next Tuesday to get Sweetie on his way. Might not make it but that's the target. He should be taking both his computers, maybe a desk or two if they'll fit in what he rents, and his survival supplies (groceries, toaster, coffeemaker and grinder, microwave, can opener, etc., much of which will come from our emergency stash).

Just had a couple of days recovering from rushing around and working on the carport with Esther, now ready to tackle the health insurance co. that's been refusing claims for some reason. I guess that's tomorrow taken care of. . .

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2002

Git, my sis lived in Aspen for quite a few years. She said at those altitudes you really have to take the UV seriously. That meant special sunglasses, for instance.

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2002

You might want to consider splitting the load of cats, either two vehicles or two or three different travel runs. I'm not sure it's the best idea to load them into one vehicle. It can be done physically, but unless you plan to give them "kitty downers," you're putting a lot of stress on the older ones.

Your vet and animal care friends may have additional ideas.

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2002

shoot I thought I saved her email..basically she had the LARGE crates with food water and small litter pan...and the night before she started bring them (cats into the bedroom and put one litty in each crate (remember she had 8...there as she stopped for the night, she'd tak one crate at a time into the bathroom in the hotel" and clean the box, love up the puddin, and let it play for a while..then repeat...the dogs just sat loose in the truck.

she is on the road now, so I am waiting to here how they made it!

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2002

shoot I thought I saved her email..basically she had the LARGE crates with food water and small litter pan...and the night before she started bring them (cats into the bedroom and put one kitty in each crate (remember she had 8...there as she stopped for the night, she'd tak one crate at a time into the bathroom in the hotel" and clean the box, love up the puddin, and let it play for a while..then repeat...the dogs just sat loose in the truck.

she is on the road now, so I am waiting to here how they made it!

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2002

Meems, it's impossible to do two trips, back-to-back, it would kill me. All it needs is a trip to Raleigh and back and I can't walk with any ease for a while. Gonna take about four days each way and the cats also would be more stressed with half of them missing, I think. Yep, the vet will give me tranquilizers and we'll test them before we go to make sure there are no bad reactions. But it's a ways down the road and I can indeed think about it later. We moved five from Norfolk to here and it wasn't that bad. Yep, I know, only four hours but the logistics are pretty much the same, only the duration is different. We also moved two from New Orleans up this way, two days, and they were stoned most of the time! They loved it!

SAR, that's roughly how I thought we might do it. Except there's a possibility now we might hire one or two drivers from Grannie's. We've heard our relocation costs will be paid, don't know if there's a limit, but it sure would free up some money for smoothing the journey by hiring drivers! That way, we could let them drive straight through, meaning two days instead of four--I would sleep/stretch out in the back of the van with the kitties when the spare driver wasn't asleep! Again, we have plenty of time and something will solidify before we have to make firm plans. Maybe I'll take the tranquilizers and let the kitties manage by themselves!

Actually, I think the older ones will do better as they've moved before and they will "tell" the young uns it's okay. Chris will have to take a chill pill, though, even if they otehrs don't. He "yodels" all the way to the vet and it's only five minutes away--seems like a couple of hours!

I hadn't thought about the UV problem but it's good to bear in mind. We get the Campmor catalogue, will have to get some good glasses for Sweetie in the near future.

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2002

if the relocation costs are being paid, screw the van, rent a Winnebago and you can put your Honda on a trailer behind it. Then you can have the car too without all the mileage! the kitties can be in the back of the Winnebago, and the people in the front and middle. I'm sure you can find a place for a one way rental for this, right? Maybe even buy one and sell it when you get there, since they will probably pay some of the cost of it like the amount of a moving van rental for instance.

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2002

We've thought about a Winnebago too :) We'll sell the car before we go because Sweetie will buy one in CO and we really don't need more than one. At this point anyway. That's another of those things we can put off deciding.

This is a truly amazing time. Sweetie has been throwing out stuff he's been hanging onto for years. I remember the struggle I had when we first got married and I was getting rid of his college clothes. I mean, he had been out of college over ten years and he was still hanging on to all this crap, way too small! It was just a sentimental attachment. Now if I could just get him to srt through his shoes--he must have six or seven pairs of sneakers, all but one worn out. Yeah, I know I could do it, but he has to do something for himself SOMEtime! Besides, there's that wedding dress of mine from 1965. . . (No, not sentimental about anything but the fabric--it's really beautiful stuff from France, wild silk and lace. Anybody interested? For a tallish person, 5'9", maybe a size 8 or 10. Don't mind if someone wants it just for the silk and lace fabric to make into something else. Free.

-- Anonymous, May 26, 2002

There's always Ebay.

-- Anonymous, May 27, 2002

I'd kinda rather it went to somebody I know. Btw, it was 150 pounds back then, or getting close to $300 at those exchange rates. You can imagine what it would cost today.

-- Anonymous, May 27, 2002

Did I hear silk and lace?

Sounds simply stunning Old Git.

Not knowing the amount of fabric in the dress, why not have some pillow cases made? They would be beautiful.

apoc - who doesn't throw away beautiful fabric and hardly ever cuts it either - just ask her hubby

-- Anonymous, May 27, 2002

Hmmm, if you don't manage to get it to someone you know, maybe you can sell it on consignment at that Granny's Panties place you work at?

-- Anonymous, May 27, 2002

But then again, you could always give it to me..... ;)

-- Anonymous, May 27, 2002

A Piece Of Cloth... ;^)

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2002

Apoc, it's yours. Send me an e-mail and I'll get it off to you. Complete with three-tiered veil, very long, and has the original cigarette holes too, LOL! The dress is actually a sleeveless wild silk dress with a long rounded train and a lace coat with elbow length sleeves and silk covered buttons. The lace was made for the dress, I believe. and the flowers get bigger as the train gets longer. The cleaners ripped the stiff underskirt from the dress but it wouldn't take much to replace it and put it back together again, just patience. I haven't looked at it for years and don't know if it's "aged" or not. I had thought about making an evening cape/big stole out of the lace but we don't go to those sort of functions any more.

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2002