Here's an interesting exercise. Give away 1/3 of your possessions, decide that another 1/6 is trash. Then move into a place 2/3 the size of your current home. Then watch your things multiply!
This was our fatal error: not taking into account the fact that the garage doesn't "count" in the square footage of our house. So 1500 feet is actually, well, a lot more.
Luckily, the attic space is ample so we aren't in as bad a spot as we thought. And we do have most of the bigger furniture still on the way (with drawers and cabinets and such). And there is outside storage.
But we'll be living cozy for a while until both of us decide we can part with some more things. Or figure out how to condense it all. For instance, I have a lot of yarn - most of it came from my mom - but it takes up two 17 gallon tubs. By winding it up in yarn balls I can fit it all in a hanging sweater...thing. You know, the thing you put in your closet so you can store things vertically. Yeah, I can fit three times as much yarn in one of those things when it's balled.
Books. Oh my goodness, the books. So many of them. And I've already ditched the duplicate copies (both in hard copies and the ones I have in digital form). And the ones that I can get for free on my Kindle because they're in the public domain. And the ones I realistically won't read. And the ones I can find regularly for 50 cents at a thrift store. Goodness.
And bedding? Holy cow, we got rid of extra sheets and blankets and we're STILL busting at the seams. The only things I refused to part with were the quilt my grandma made me when I was a baby, and a blanket I knitted myself. We kept 2 sheet sets for each bed - one for warm weather and one for cold - and a blanket and comforter for each. I think what we'll need to do is assess how well the wood stove works come winter time and then maybe ditch some blankets.
Camping supplies. Big sigh there. How is it that this stuff can take up so little room in the back of my little Toyota and then magically increase in volume once it comes time to put it somewhere in the house?
My husband's clothes. How is it that such a simple man has more clothes than me? He wears the same 3 things every week! Luckily we have a dresser coming that should solve that problem.
Ironically, I think the only stuff that takes up LESS room than I had anticipated is my crafting supplies. Yarn, patterns, fabric, paint, canvas, all of it is pretty compact.
And the moving continues...
documenting life, change, and finally growing up
Showing posts with label moving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label moving. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Please Stand By
Just checking in. We're in the middle of our move, and we got the internet up and running last night. However, we still have a lot of treks to make between the two houses not to mention deep cleaning 1500 feet of house.
And work starts up again a week from tomorrow. So I have a lot of prep work to do there, too.
So here's the deal with the new house: it's growing on me.
For instance, last night the temperature dipped under 50 degrees. In the old house, this would equate to indoor temperatures of 52-55. Here? 67. Yesterday afternoon it was actually cooler inside than out - an unheard of event at the other house. This is not an insignificant fact given summer temperatures here routinely rise above 95 and often go over 100.
The kid is loving the freedom to run around both the much safer house and the gated front deck. I'm loving not having to stay within arm's reach every moment of every day. PLUS it came pre-baby-proofed, with the go-ahead to install more drawer and cabinet stoppers if need be.
We get PBS and network television courtesy of the rear house's cable connection. I can get all the Huell Howser I can stand!
So yay!
We have most of our kitchen and master bedroom moved, but it doesn't seem to have made much of a dent in the other house. So we have our work cut out for us. Posting will be sporadic for a while, but I hope that unlike this blog's previous incarnation "sporadic" will mean just that, rather than "nonexistent."
And work starts up again a week from tomorrow. So I have a lot of prep work to do there, too.
So here's the deal with the new house: it's growing on me.
For instance, last night the temperature dipped under 50 degrees. In the old house, this would equate to indoor temperatures of 52-55. Here? 67. Yesterday afternoon it was actually cooler inside than out - an unheard of event at the other house. This is not an insignificant fact given summer temperatures here routinely rise above 95 and often go over 100.
The kid is loving the freedom to run around both the much safer house and the gated front deck. I'm loving not having to stay within arm's reach every moment of every day. PLUS it came pre-baby-proofed, with the go-ahead to install more drawer and cabinet stoppers if need be.
We get PBS and network television courtesy of the rear house's cable connection. I can get all the Huell Howser I can stand!
So yay!
We have most of our kitchen and master bedroom moved, but it doesn't seem to have made much of a dent in the other house. So we have our work cut out for us. Posting will be sporadic for a while, but I hope that unlike this blog's previous incarnation "sporadic" will mean just that, rather than "nonexistent."
Friday, July 8, 2011
Moving Right Along
Last month I wrote that we may have found a new house to rent. Well, cross of the "may have." Our application was accepted, and we begin moving next Friday.
I'm still working on that research on cost of living, by the way.
That means a few things: I'll need to find new places to train, we'll need to seriously downsize our possessions, and we'll need to get used to a new neighborhood.
There are plenty of benefits to living in the new house (else we wouldn't be moving, right?). For one thing, it has an attic, some double paned windows, lots of shade, and at least a touch of insulation. In an area with actual seasons this is not a small consideration. The last two years here have taught me that coastal California dwellers are s.p.o.i.l.e.d. when it comes to comfortable living. High ceiling, A-frame houses on top of a hill sure look picturesque, but when there's nothing between the ceiling and the roof it makes for either exceedingly uncomfortable living quarters, or exceedingly expensive ones. The rule in my house is that the air conditioning is forbidden when the inside temperature where the thermostat lives is under 90 degrees Fahrenheit. That translates to 96 degrees in the living room. In winter time we spend most of the snowy days within 4 feet of the fireplace bundled in our winter coats, willing the thermometer to hit 55 degrees by late afternoon. We all know how expensive air conditioning is, but what I didn't know before living here is that a tank of propane costs more than $500 to fill. Yikes.
An attic will help with the heat. The shade will help a lot, too. For the winters we will graduate to a wood-burning stove, and around these parts it is entirely possible to get your hands on a cord of wood for $10, provided you're willing to fell, chop, and season your own wood. Sign us up for that deal!
Incidentally, I marvel at and salute the pioneer women who came to the foothills before such things as weatherized, insulated structures and air conditioning. I can't imagine cooking over an open flame in a modest, floor length dress and petticoat in 105 degree heat. You can't tell me that hanging a wet blanket in the doorway is an adequate solution. Believe me, I've tried it.
Anyway. Back to the benefits.
The other thing that we are allowed to do in our new abode is plant whatever we would like in the ground. I mentioned my vegetable garden, and the new landlord said that would be fine and that I can certainly put those in the ground. If we end up staying for a while I may even get bold and look into purchasing some fruit trees...
We will also have a brand new trail head about 5 minutes up the road that leads to some amazing views of the foothills. I hear a rumor that on a clear day you can even see out as far as the Coastal Range, although I do wonder how many clear days we get anymore.
In the other direction a 5 minute drive will land us at a small lake, open for swimming, fishing, and non-motorized boats. There's a playground for the kid, and the beach is an off-leash area for dogs (not that we have a dog, but it sure is fun to play with them). It's a nice place to go to get away from the heat. Today, for example, we plan on going up there with the surfboards and paddling around a bit. Hey, they still need to get some use, right?
If it sounds like I'm trying to convince myself that it'll be a good move, then you're onto me. I won't miss the indoor heat (or the cold), and I won't miss having to use a gate card to get onto the road to my house, but I just can't shake the feeling of...I don't want to move. I like going out onto our deck in the morning with a cup of coffee and seeing the pine-forested mountains. Or sitting in the evening with a glass of wine watching the sun set through the trees. We won't have those kind of views at the new house. We won't have the quiet, either. Gated communities are known for being pretty snooty (which I won't miss), but they certainly are quiet. The new house is on a road that leads directly to Main Street in the next down over, so there is a lot more traffic. It's nestled in the trees, so we'll lose our mountain views.
But mostly I guess it's that it's change. I don't like things to change too much, and the last three years seem to be nothing but: my husband losing his job, me losing mine, getting a new job, moving to a brand new area of the state, unexpectedly getting pregnant, each of us losing a parent, and now up and moving again. Sure it's just up the road, but it's still a disruption.
I just wish (and hope) that things could be a little more...boring for a while.
I'm still working on that research on cost of living, by the way.
That means a few things: I'll need to find new places to train, we'll need to seriously downsize our possessions, and we'll need to get used to a new neighborhood.
There are plenty of benefits to living in the new house (else we wouldn't be moving, right?). For one thing, it has an attic, some double paned windows, lots of shade, and at least a touch of insulation. In an area with actual seasons this is not a small consideration. The last two years here have taught me that coastal California dwellers are s.p.o.i.l.e.d. when it comes to comfortable living. High ceiling, A-frame houses on top of a hill sure look picturesque, but when there's nothing between the ceiling and the roof it makes for either exceedingly uncomfortable living quarters, or exceedingly expensive ones. The rule in my house is that the air conditioning is forbidden when the inside temperature where the thermostat lives is under 90 degrees Fahrenheit. That translates to 96 degrees in the living room. In winter time we spend most of the snowy days within 4 feet of the fireplace bundled in our winter coats, willing the thermometer to hit 55 degrees by late afternoon. We all know how expensive air conditioning is, but what I didn't know before living here is that a tank of propane costs more than $500 to fill. Yikes.
An attic will help with the heat. The shade will help a lot, too. For the winters we will graduate to a wood-burning stove, and around these parts it is entirely possible to get your hands on a cord of wood for $10, provided you're willing to fell, chop, and season your own wood. Sign us up for that deal!
Incidentally, I marvel at and salute the pioneer women who came to the foothills before such things as weatherized, insulated structures and air conditioning. I can't imagine cooking over an open flame in a modest, floor length dress and petticoat in 105 degree heat. You can't tell me that hanging a wet blanket in the doorway is an adequate solution. Believe me, I've tried it.
Anyway. Back to the benefits.
The other thing that we are allowed to do in our new abode is plant whatever we would like in the ground. I mentioned my vegetable garden, and the new landlord said that would be fine and that I can certainly put those in the ground. If we end up staying for a while I may even get bold and look into purchasing some fruit trees...
We will also have a brand new trail head about 5 minutes up the road that leads to some amazing views of the foothills. I hear a rumor that on a clear day you can even see out as far as the Coastal Range, although I do wonder how many clear days we get anymore.
In the other direction a 5 minute drive will land us at a small lake, open for swimming, fishing, and non-motorized boats. There's a playground for the kid, and the beach is an off-leash area for dogs (not that we have a dog, but it sure is fun to play with them). It's a nice place to go to get away from the heat. Today, for example, we plan on going up there with the surfboards and paddling around a bit. Hey, they still need to get some use, right?
If it sounds like I'm trying to convince myself that it'll be a good move, then you're onto me. I won't miss the indoor heat (or the cold), and I won't miss having to use a gate card to get onto the road to my house, but I just can't shake the feeling of...I don't want to move. I like going out onto our deck in the morning with a cup of coffee and seeing the pine-forested mountains. Or sitting in the evening with a glass of wine watching the sun set through the trees. We won't have those kind of views at the new house. We won't have the quiet, either. Gated communities are known for being pretty snooty (which I won't miss), but they certainly are quiet. The new house is on a road that leads directly to Main Street in the next down over, so there is a lot more traffic. It's nestled in the trees, so we'll lose our mountain views.
But mostly I guess it's that it's change. I don't like things to change too much, and the last three years seem to be nothing but: my husband losing his job, me losing mine, getting a new job, moving to a brand new area of the state, unexpectedly getting pregnant, each of us losing a parent, and now up and moving again. Sure it's just up the road, but it's still a disruption.
I just wish (and hope) that things could be a little more...boring for a while.
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